Seffner, Florida -- A sinkhole has opened in a neighborhood and it opens old wounds for a Seffner family, especially since the hole is in the same exact spot where their family member was swallowed alive in 2013. It's hard for many to believe.
The family of course is having an even harder time comprehending it.
The 20-foot wide hole is taking over this Seffner field that's making the hole in Jeremy Bush's heart even bigger. Bush's brother Jeffrey was swallowed alive by a sinkhole in February 2013 while he slept in bed at 240 Faithway Drive.
"I think about it every day. I have a hard time sleeping at night because I'm thinking about it. It's bad bad memories," says Jeremy Bush, whose brother died when the sinkhole opened beneath him.
The memories came sinking back Wednesday when the hole reopened.
"Hard to believe," says Bush.
Now, according to engineers, they are not surprised that this happened.
"The design of the mediation was to minimize any danger to the surrounding areas and if there was to be a failure again it would occur where it occurred 2 years ago," says Ron Spiller, with the Hillsborough County Code Enforcement.
The county said that geotechnical engineers determined that nearby residents are safe to stay in their homes. Engineers are evaluating ways to strengthen the site, and work is expected to start later this week.
Crews filled the hole with gravel back in 2013 and say the new hole is no bigger than the one before.
"What happened today is what was designed to happen in event that was to be a sinkhole there. Design was for it to occur again right where it was and not travel so that's what occurred so there's no danger to homes," says Spiller.
For Jeremy Bush, he hopes that's the case so nobody has to suffer the pain his family deals with every day.
"It's just hard. I don't know what to say about it. I think about my brother every day," says Bush.
Engineers say the heavy recent rain has contributed to the hole reopening.
Engineers have already been out at the hole and will hopefully have a plan in place to present to the county on how to refill the hole sometime this week.
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