A sinkhole has opened up at the same Seffner site where a sinkhole swallowed a man to his death in 2013, authorities have confirmed.

No one has been injured, no buildings have been compromised and no vehicles are involved, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said Wednesday morning. The site is now an empty lot.

On Feb. 28, 2013, Jeffrey Bush, 37, was killed when a large sinkhole opened up beneath his bedroom at 240 Faithway Drive. That house and the two homes on either side of it were later demolished.

Officials say the new hole appears to be about 17 feet wide and 20 feet deep, but could be deeper.

No evacuations have been ordered.

Jeff Bush died Feb. 13, 2013 when a sinkhole opened up underneath the bedroom of his home in Seffner. He was sleeping in his bedroom at the time. His body was never recovered.

The lot now belongs to the county.

Neighbors who came down to look at the hole Wednesday had one major concern.

"Are they sure that it won't spread?" asked Meghan Farmer. "I mean, it reopened so I guess you never really know?"

County officials reassure residents it won't. They say the 2013 sinkhole was repaired in such a way that if it ever reopened, it would not get any wider.

"We know the concern the neighbors would have,” said Ron Spiller, Hillsborough County Code Enforcement. "Certainly, we all would if we lived in this neighborhood. So really, that's the most important message to them, is that we checked it right away and there is no danger."

As for a timeline on repairs, the county is waiting for a full report from engineers. We're told work should start by the end of the week.


Jeremy Bush said he is still recovering from losing his brother and his home.

Jeff Bush’s family said Wednesday’s development is bringing back horrible memories.

The Bush family stood outside the fence surrounding the sinkhole Wednesday afternoon. It's a sight that's especially hard for Jeremy Bush, Jeff’s brother, to take in. He jumped into the sinkhole and tried to rescue his brother.

At that time, he talked about how hearing his brother screaming for help haunted him. It's a nightmare Bush said he's still living with two and a half years later.

"We're going through a lot. I lost my brother, I lost everything I own. I'm trying to recover from that. It's a battle, it's hard. I will never get back on my feet. It's rough,” he said.

Bush is also upset by negative Facebook comments he's seeing on the Internet about this story.

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