Pennsylvania State Police said that the woman who fell through a sinkhole into a decades-old mine shaft while searching for her cat was found dead on Friday.
Rescue workers are continuing to search a sinkhole Wednesday morning in Unity Township, Pennsylvania for a woman who went missing while looking for her cat.
Elizabeth Pollard, 64, went missing Tuesday and her 5-year-old granddaughter was found by police in her parked car around 10 hours later, unharmed.
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It is believed Pollard fell through a nearby sinkhole, which crews determined was covered by a thin layer of earth, mainly just grass, where she stepped.
Crews are pumping oxygen down the hole as a precaution.
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Engineers with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mining have been in the area throughout the night and have been down in the mines several times.
They've determined the integrity of the underground structure is starting to become compromised, forcing rescuers to come up with a new plan as they continue searching.
Meanwhile, Pollard's family is trying to stay positive.
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“Continue the prayers as we are going through this hard time right now," said Tabitha Pollard, Elizabeth Pollard’s niece.
Despite the potential danger of the operation, local officials said they remain focused on a rescue operation.
"There is zero stop in any of the rescue efforts. If anything they are actually getting amplified,” said Steve Limani, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Police.
“This is a rescue to me until something says it's not. I'm a person and I know every single person on this line. Until you're telling us there's no chance, there's a chance."
