Elizabeth Pollard, the Pennsylvania woman who fell into a sinkhole, found dead after 4-day search, police say

Searchers on Friday found the body of a 64-year-old woman four days after she fell into a sinkhole above a shuttered coal mine in Western Pennsylvania, State Police said.

Elizabeth Pollard fell into a newly formed 30-foot sinkhole while looking for her lost cat, officials said. Earlier this week, she was reported missing by her family. Police found her car parked down the hill from her home behind Monday’s Union Restaurant in the Marguerite community — about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh — with her 5-year-old granddaughter inside unharmed.

Near the car, police discovered the sinkhole, launching a large-scale search for Pollard, which included the local fire department and the state Department of Environmental Protection, and sparked national attention and community-wide support.

During a news conference Friday afternoon, Trooper Steve Limani, a state police spokesperson, thanked the neighborhood for its support, including Monday’s Union Restaurant.

“You really felt a sense of community,” he said, praising the family that owns Monday’s and neighborhood’s the tight-knit community.

By the end of the second night of searching, officials said they were not expecting to find Pollard alive.

On Thursday, state police said they were using an excavator to reach the spot in the mine where they expected Pollard to have landed. Limani said search experts think Pollard fell through a thin layer of earth, likely just inches, down 30 feet before breaking through the mine shaft.

On Friday, crews drilled into the ceiling of the mine shaft from the ground above. Later, at about 11:05 a.m., Limani said they found Pollard about 12 feet southwest of where the original sinkhole occurred.

“As the mine starts to deteriorate and the sinkhole started to form, it formed [what resembled] a Hershey Kiss shape,” Limani explained. “When she fell through the shaft and landed, striking that mound, it appeared she rolled or moved that 12 feet.”

Limani said the crew was relieved they could recover Pollard’s body and give her family closure. As the teams continued to dig, the area became more unstable. Coupled with dipping temperatures, Limani emphasized that the environment was becoming increasingly dangerous as time passed.

“[Finding Pollard] was the only thing they were concerned about [so the family could have] a memorial service and everything she deserves to have,” Limani said. “Some of the concerns were getting dashed but the hard work from the people who ran the show was incredible.”

The trooper went on to call the recovery of Pollard’s body “a blessing from God,” following the hard work from crews using a mix of technology, heavy machinery, and knowledge to pinpoint where she was. “She was in the last place we looked.”

Their next point of action would’ve been an extensive process to drill holes. “We were tapping our last bit of resources,” he said.

Pollard was a wife, mother, aunt, and grandmother living in the Unity Township community. Public records show she has lived in Westmoreland County for at least 40 years. She previously worked at a local Walmart for more than a decade and was known as a happy person.

Her family has expressed their gratitude throughout the search efforts to the rescue teams and community members.

Pollard was married to Kenneth “Kenny” Pollard, for more than four decades. The pair adopted infant twin boys almost 30 years ago and raised them. Brandon Pollard, 28, died in January. His sibling, Axel Hayes, spoke with the Associated Press earlier in the week as search efforts for his mother continued.

While Kenny Pollard has not been directly quoted in interviews, he was photographed by the AP holding a framed photo of himself and Elizabeth vacationing in Clearwater Beach, Fla., about 10 years back.

Family members said Elizabeth Pollard loved cats and would connect with nearly every feline she encountered. At one point, she had about 10 of her own cats, Hayes said. So when Pepper, a gray-striped cat disappeared on Monday, Pollard was on the case. As of publication time, Pepper’s whereabouts were unknown.

“We grieve for you, the family,” Limani said at Friday’s news conference. “Our heart aches for what you’re having to go through. Please accept our condolences.”

The family is requesting privacy but said earlier that anyone who wants to contribute can bring their donation to Monday’s Union Restaurant, where the restaurant’s manager is collecting funds. Any GoFundMe pages or other online fund-raisers are unauthorized by the family.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.