Woman who likely fell into sinkhole while searching for her cat isn’t expected to be found alive

The effort to locate a Pennsylvania grandmother who appears to have fallen through a sinkhole into a decades-old mine shaft while she was searching for her cat has most likely shifted from a rescue to a recovery mission, authorities said Wednesday.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani told reporters that there had been diminishing oxygen levels and no sign of life in the shaft, which he estimated was at least 30 feet deep.

“Unless it’s a miracle, most likely this is a recovery,” he said.

He said there was little doubt Elizabeth Pollard, 64, had plunged through what he described as a thin piece of ground in Unity Township, roughly 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Authorities said she was last seen around 5 p.m. Monday. A relative dialed 911 hours later and reported her missing, Limani said.

State troopers discovered her car parked near a restaurant with her 5-year-old granddaughter still inside. The granddaughter was in good condition despite freezing temperatures, he said.

Using cameras, authorities Tuesday saw what appeared to be a modern-looking shoe in the mine, but they have had no contact with Pollard.

Limani said authorities are shifting their approach to finding Pollard because of the mine’s fragile state.

Rescue personnel had been trying to suction out dirt, debris and rocks, he said, and they were using water to soften up the area.

But with the possibility of collapse, they now plan to dig a massive hole to access the area.

“We’re not quitting,” he said. “We are going to continue to work through this.”