Seffner sinkhole: Brother of man killed in 2013 relives ‘nightmare’ every day
SEFFNER, Fla. - When a sinkhole in Seffner reopened on Monday, it reopened all of the wounds in Jeremy Bush’s heart.
The brother of a man killed by a sinkhole in Seffner ten years ago never expected it to open up a third time.
In March 2013, the sinkhole opened underneath a home on Faithway Drive, swallowing Jeffrey Bush, who was asleep in his bedroom. Jeremy Bush said he desperately tried to save him but was not able to and crews never recovered the body.
Jeffery Bush was killed when a sinkhole opened in Seffner in 2013.
"I opened up the door and there was a big hole there. His bed and dresser and everything was gone. He was gone.," Jeremy Bush explained. "I jumped in the hole immediately and started digging because I heard him yelling for me. ‘Jeremy, please help me.’
Image of the hole left in the Bush's home after a sinkhole opened in 2013.
The Bush’s home and two neighboring homes were demolished and the hole was filled with gravel.
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Loved ones placed a memorial at the edge of the fenced-off property hoping closure would come in time. But, two years later, in 2015, it collapsed again.
The Bush's home and two other homes were demolished after the 2013 sinkhole opened.
Jeremy Bush says he can’t believe it happened again.
"I live this nightmare every day," Jeremy Bush stated. "Every day. I have a hard time sleeping. It’s just rough. Just let him be. His final resting place was that [sinkhole]. It just keeps opening up, and they keep adding more dirt on top of them. It is sad to me."
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In 2013, the sinkhole was filled and engineers said the design of the mediation was to minimize any danger to the surrounding areas. They added that it was designed to collapse in the same location, which is what happened in 2015 when it reopened the first time and on Monday when it reopened for the third time.
John-Paul Lavandeira with Hillsborough County code enforcement estimated the sinkhole, which reopened on Monday to be about 12 feet by 12 feet.
"The depression isn’t going to find another place to try and meander," he stated. "It will stay right there, and it’s the easiest point of attack, so that’s really the best situation in this scenario. We can actually control when and if there is a recurrence."
Jeremy Bush often visits the site of the sinkhole to honor his brother.
He added, "This is something that is out of all of our control. This is a Mother Nature thing. This isn’t a man-made scenario, but we do have a plan in place. We have the right experts in place. This is under control. There is a reason why there are double fences where this thing is."
Jeremy Bush says no matter how hard he tried, he doesn’t think he’ll ever find closure.