A man had a lucky escape after he fell into a type of sinkhole that appeared beneath his porch and left him hanging dangerously. KC Kelley, a resident of Central Virginia, had stepped outside to clear the snow off his car when his foot sank suddenly. 

He plunged into the hole in the dark but made use of his shovel to stop his descent all the way to the bottom of the pit. Then, he used it to gain leverage and scramble out of the situation. He commented that their porch is made of dirt and stone slabs, which is why it’s an elevated piece of ground. 

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Kelley recalled the incident, saying “We had just recently gotten a heavy snowfall, leaving about 5 to 6 inches of snow, which is unusual for our area of Central Virginia. I was walking across the porch and my wife was a few steps behind me when I took a step and I felt my right foot start to sink.” 

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He initially thought that his feet had sunk into the snow, but then realized he was still in the middle of his porch. The shovel he was carrying, caught the opening of the hole, allowing him to eventually get out of the potentially dangerous situation. 

Further, Kelley stated, “It was dark outside so I couldn’t see how far the hole travelled down. I wasn’t particularly frightened as I hung there, just hyper-aware of what was happening. I just knew not to move fast to ensure no more of the hole would collapse.”

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When he got out of the hole, he lay flat on the ground and pushed himself across the porch, trying to disperse his weight evenly, as one would do if they fell into a frozen lake. 

Once he was safe, Kelley grabbed a flashlight and measuring tape, and realized the hole was 15 feet deep and had a width of 10 feet. As a renter, Kelley immediately contacted the owner to have repairs made. 

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He also speculated on the nature of the void, saying, “I am not sure if this is a true sinkhole or if it is an old cistern that was covered up, started leaking and washed away soil, leading to a collapse. Either way the hole extends down towards the foundation of the house, which we were just barely able to see. The house was built in the early 1930s when cisterns were a common form of water collection, so it is possible that is what this is.” 

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Kelley stated that the appearance of the hole was sudden, and none had appeared before or since the incident. Though he slept with his wife in the house that night, Kelley expressed uncertainty about them having to move due to safety concerns or at least until repairs are made.