Couple rescued from sinkhole in High Springs

Sep 14, 2020 12:30 pm

Multiple agencies responded to a call for help in High Springs in the early morning hours of Sunday.

Just before 2:00AM, the High Springs Fire Department, High Springs Police Department, Alachua County Fire Rescue and Newberry Fire Rescue were dispatched to a wooded area off of Poe Springs Road for a report of subjects trapped in a sinkhole. Upon arrival, HSFD crews found two victims trapped in a sinkhole estimated to be 40 feet deep.

According to reports, the couple was riding their ATV through the dark woods when their vehicle struck a sloped area on the ground, plummeting into the sinkhole, which was filled with water. The couple was able to swim to the surface to await rescue.

Using specialized technical rescue tools, a single rescuer repelled down the sinkhole and removed each victim one at a time.

After a lengthy rescue process, the couple, a man and woman in their mid 20s to early 30s, were safely pulled above ground.

Amazingly, only minor injuries were sustained, neither requiring transport to the hospital.