A surveillance camera caught the shocking moment a sinkhole swallowed a large portion of an Illinois soccer field.
According to NBC-affiliated station KSDK, the sinkhole swallowed bleachers, a light pole, and 100 feet of the soccer fields at Gordon Moore Park in Alton, Illinois on Wednesday, June 26.
The unbelievable situation was caught by one of the park’s surveillance cameras and no one was reportedly injured.
Alton Parks and Recreation Director, Michael Haynes spoke to the media outlet about the incident. “I can’t imagine if there were a bunch of people out here,” Haynes also said. “We’re fortunate.”
The sinkhole was confirmed to be the result of an underground mine that is owned by New Frontier Material. Haynes also revealed that the hole is approximately 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep. No one was using the field at the time of the collapse.
“The impacted area has been secured and will remain off limits for the foreseeable future while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs,” the New Frontier Materials representative also explained.
“No one was injured in the incident, which has been reported to officials at the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) in accordance with applicable regulations. Safety is our top priority. We will work with the city to remediate this issue as quickly and safely as possible to ensure minimal impact on the community.”
Haynes then said he and his team are waiting to hear back from New Frontier Materials and to see what geologists and engineers have to say. “We’ll follow their lead on where to go from here. They can determine what happened, why it happened, how to prevent it, and how we fix what has happened here.”
The Illinois Park’s Soccer Fields Are Closed Until Further Notice Following Sinkhole Incident
Haynes also revealed that Gordon Moore Park and Spencer T Olin Golf Course are closed until further notice following the sinkhole incident.
All activities at the park on Wednesday afternoon were canceled due to the collapse. A park security officer had even blocked the main entrance and turned all park visitors away.
“It looks like something out of a movie, right? It looks like a bomb went off,” said Hayne observed. “There are two soccer fields slashed football right next to each other and it happened kind of right between them, so half of each field sort of swallowed.”
Haynes went on to add that the park spent a million and a half on the fields. Among the items purchased were new turf and a new concession stand. “The park is closed for the evening and early morning. We are going back out there tomorrow as the investigation continues.”