“No signs of any form of life” - Search for grandmother Elizabeth Pollard missing in sinkhole turns to recovery effort

Despite strenuous efforts by the rescue operators for the past two days, there is no sign of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard, causing the authorities to change the status of the operation from rescue to recovery. Pollard, from Pennsylvania, is believed to have fallen into a newly formed sinkhole while searching for her cat.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani, in a news conference held on Wednesday, December 4, stated that,

"We’ve had no signs of any form of life or anything(...)Unless it's a miracle, most likely this is [a] recovery [effort]."

The rescue operations were halted on Wednesday after a two-day continuous search for her because of safety concerns. According to reports, the rescue operation, which is now a recovery operation, is set to continue today.

Rescue Operation turns into recovery operation after no sign of life in the Sinkhole.

Elizabeth Pollard, last seen on December 2 evening at around 5.00 pm, was reported missing by a relative on December 3 at around 1.00 am. According to reports, Elizabeth was out looking for her missing cat.

Her car was found parked near Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite. Authorities also found her 5-year-old granddaughter safe in the car. They also discovered a huge newly formed sinkhole near where her car was parked leading them to believe that Pollard may have fallen into the sinkhole.

The rescue operations began soon, and Limani expressed his hopes of finding Elizabeth Pollard alive. The rescue team worked through freezing temperatures continuously for the past two days. But, since two days have passed with no sign of Pollard, the authorities believe this has become a recovery operation.

The operation began by removing dirt and debris, then lowering cameras and microphones into the hole to locate Pollard. The first camera couldn't find anything, but a second camera located a shoe presumably belonging to Pollard.

According to Associate Press, the Pleasant Valley Fire Department used an excavator to create access points to the mine. Fire Chief John Bacha said that the rescue team is certain that they were looking at the right place and that the team is planning to widen the surface for a better search.

However, Limani stated that they might have to change their earlier plans because of the fragile state of the abandoned Marguerite Mine connected to the sinkhole. According to the Associate Press, Limani praised the rescue team for their effort,

"They would come out of there head to toe covered in mud, exhausted. And while they were getting pulled up, the next group’s getting dropped in. And there was one after the next after the next."

Elizabeth Pollard's family was informed of the change from a rescue operation into a recovery operation. Pollard's son, Axel Hayes, hopes for his mother's safety, BBC reports.

"Right now, I just hope she’s alive and well, that she’s going to make it, that my niece still has a grandmother, that I still have a mother that I can talk to."