Today: Man on tractor falls into sinkhole
Don’t worry the tractor’s OK
Early this morning on the East Bank a groundskeeper, hard at work, fell into a sinkhole while riding a John Deere tractor.
A sinkhole is a place which water and drainage collects underground, unseen at the street level, and creates a pocket of unstable pressure under ground which can easily cave in on itself. In New Orleans, sinkholes are not uncommon to find on public, residential roads due to the extreme humidity and bowl-like shape of the city, thus making for truly poor road conditions.
What happened today was not an exception.
As he was busy mowing the lawn, a massive and many-feet-deep hole opened in the ground beneath his feet, swallowing him and the tractor whole. Luckily, a police officer and a neighborhood resident were around at the time of the incident and rushed over to pull the man to safety, effectively keeping him from critical harm.
Neighbors came out of their houses as they heard the commotion outside and noticed a sudden change in water pressure. They were able to offer the groundskeeper blankets and water while the police and medical attention arrived.
Though the fate of the tractor looks bleak, the groundskeeper is safe and well. Overall, no harm, no foul. But holey shit.