Shocking doorbell footage captures the moment an elderly woman tumbled into a sinkhole in a Suffolk County yard – which authorities say also trapped two other people before dawn on Thursday.
The 71-year-old woman – identified by WNBC as Luz Bedoya – left her home on West 10th Street in Huntington Station just after 6 a.m., while it was still dark outside, the eerie Ring camera clip shows.
Seconds later – the moment she apparently fell into the hole – the footage shows her dropping to the ground and she is no longer visible in the frame.
Bedoya later told WNBC in Spanish that she was screaming for help – but feared that no one would come to her aid because it was too dark. She also called for help on her cell phone, she said.
Two other people, both 60, did try to help her – but ended up falling themselves into the hole, which is 6 feet wide by 6 feet deep, according to Suffolk County cops and the network.
One responding cop reached into the hole and pulled one of the victims to safety – while another cop put a neighbor’s ladder in the hole so the other two could climb out, cops said.
The neighbor, Benjamin Orengo, told the network he also contributed an extension cord to help the victims – one of whom was his wife – who were trapped in mud that reached above their knees.
“Really scared. They were worried about going down,” Orengo said of the victims. “I tell them, ‘Don’t move.’ It’s like quicksand, right?”
Bedoya and one of the other victims were taken to Huntington Hospital for an evaluation. The third victim was not hurt, authorities said.
The Town of Huntington Building Inspector was called to inspect the property and determine the cause of the hole, police said.
Town officials suspect a water pipe link, coupled with the heavy rain, might be the culprit, according to WNBC.
