On April 18, 2025, a sinkhole opened up suddenly in a quiet neighborhood in Kissimmee, Florida, swallowing a woman’s car and part of her backyard. The hole was 20 feet wide and 15 feet deep, with jagged edges that made rescue efforts dangerous. For three days, the town held its breath. News crews gathered. Neighbors left candles and flowers. Social media buzzed with updates. The question everyone asked: Did they find the woman who fell in a sinkhole?
The Day the Ground Opened
The incident happened just after 7 a.m. near the intersection of Old Lake Wilson Road and Cypress Lane. Maria Rodriguez, 58, had just pulled out of her driveway in her 2019 Honda Civic. She was heading to her job at a local dental office. Witnesses say she didn’t scream. The ground gave way silently - no warning crack, no rumble. Her car dropped straight down, leaving only the roof visible for a few seconds before vanishing.
Her husband, who was still inside the house, heard the thud and ran outside. He saw the hole, her car’s license plate still dangling from the frame, and no sign of her. He called 911 immediately. By the time first responders arrived, the sinkhole had widened by another three feet, swallowing part of the concrete driveway and a small oak tree.
Rescue Efforts Under Pressure
Emergency teams from Osceola County, the Florida Geological Survey, and even a private drone company from Orlando rushed in. The sinkhole sat on unstable limestone bedrock - the same kind that causes most sinkholes in central Florida. Water from a broken underground pipe had been seeping for months, slowly eating away at the soil beneath the house.
Rescuers used ground-penetrating radar to map the hole’s shape. They found a narrow tunnel beneath the car, possibly created by the collapsing soil. They feared Maria might be trapped in that space. Drones with thermal cameras scanned the area. Robots with cameras crawled into the edges of the hole. For 36 hours, they found nothing but debris - a shoe, a purse, the car’s airbag.
Then, on the third day, a team from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection noticed something unusual. The water level in the sinkhole had dropped slightly. That meant the water table had shifted - and that could mean the void underneath had collapsed further. They drilled a small borehole 12 feet to the side. Inside, they found a small pocket of air. And then, a faint tapping sound.
The Discovery
At 2:14 p.m. on April 21, 2025, rescuers pulled Maria Rodriguez out alive. She was covered in mud, bruised, and dehydrated - but conscious. She had been trapped in a small air pocket between the car’s undercarriage and the collapsed soil. She’d survived by clinging to the driver’s seat, breathing slowly, and tapping on the metal frame every hour to signal for help.
She told rescuers she didn’t know how long she’d been down there. She remembered the car dropping. She remembered the darkness. She remembered thinking about her grandkids. She didn’t cry. She didn’t panic. She just waited.
She was rushed to Osceola Regional Medical Center. Doctors said she had minor fractures in her left wrist and a concussion, but no internal injuries. Her survival was called a miracle by the medical team. One paramedic said, "I’ve seen sinkholes take cars. I’ve seen them take houses. But I’ve never seen someone survive one like this."
Why This Happened in Kissimmee
Kissimmee sits on the Floridian aquifer system - a layer of porous limestone that holds groundwater. Over decades, water flows through it, dissolving the rock and creating underground cavities. When the soil above gets too heavy - from rain, construction, or aging pipes - it collapses. That’s how sinkholes form.
Central Florida has more sinkholes than any other part of the U.S. The state averages 200 sinkhole claims a year. Kissimmee, with its old neighborhoods and aging infrastructure, has seen more than 15 major sinkholes since 2010. The one that swallowed Maria’s car was the largest in the city in 14 years.
The city later confirmed that a 40-year-old water main under her property had been leaking since 2022. The city’s records showed they’d been notified of low pressure in that line - but no repairs were scheduled. The state’s geological survey called it "a preventable tragedy."
What Happened After
Three weeks after the rescue, Maria Rodriguez gave her first interview. She didn’t want money. She didn’t want fame. She just wanted the city to fix the pipes. "I’m lucky," she said. "But someone else won’t be."
Her home was declared unsafe. The city bought the property and demolished the house. A small memorial now sits where her driveway once was - a bench with a plaque that reads: "For those who fell, and those who held on."
Florida lawmakers introduced a new bill in May 2025 - the Sinkhole Disclosure Act - requiring homeowners to disclose known underground water leaks when selling property. It passed the state senate in October. It’s now awaiting the governor’s signature.
What You Can Do If You Live in Florida
If you live in Kissimmee, Orlando, or anywhere in central Florida, here’s what you should know:
- Watch for small cracks in your driveway, walls, or floors - especially if they’re growing.
- If your yard suddenly sinks or your trees lean at odd angles, get a professional inspection.
- Know where your main water line runs. Older homes (built before 1980) are at higher risk.
- Ask your city for a sinkhole risk map. Kissimmee’s is free and online.
- Homeowners insurance in Florida covers sinkholes - but only if you have optional sinkhole coverage. Most policies don’t include it by default.
After Maria’s story went national, insurance sales for sinkhole coverage in Osceola County jumped 400% in two months. People aren’t waiting anymore.
What’s Left
The car was recovered in pieces. It’s now stored in a state facility as evidence. The sinkhole was filled with engineered grout and compacted soil. Grass is growing back. The neighborhood is quiet again.
But if you walk by that corner on a quiet morning, you might still see someone stopping to look down. Not out of fear. Out of respect. For the woman who didn’t give up. For the people who didn’t stop looking. For the ground that can’t always be trusted.
Was the woman who fell in the Kissimmee sinkhole found alive?
Yes. Maria Rodriguez was pulled alive from the sinkhole on April 21, 2025, after being trapped for nearly 72 hours. She survived by staying calm, conserving energy, and tapping on the car’s frame to signal for help. She was hospitalized with minor injuries and has since recovered at home.
Why do sinkholes happen in Kissimmee, Florida?
Kissimmee sits on a layer of limestone bedrock that’s naturally dissolved by groundwater. Over time, this creates underground cavities. When the soil above becomes too heavy - often because of leaking pipes, heavy rain, or construction - the ground collapses. Aging water and sewer lines are the most common trigger in older neighborhoods.
Is sinkhole insurance required in Florida?
No, sinkhole insurance is not required in Florida. Standard homeowners insurance covers damage from wind or fire, but not sinkholes. You must buy sinkhole coverage as an optional add-on. After the 2025 Kissimmee incident, many Florida homeowners added it - especially in Osceola, Polk, and Orange counties.
How common are sinkholes in Florida?
Florida has more sinkholes than any other state. The Florida Geological Survey reports about 200 sinkhole claims each year. Central Florida - including Kissimmee, Orlando, and Tampa - sees the highest number. Most are small, but 10-15 each year are large enough to damage homes or vehicles.
What should I do if I see a sinkhole forming near my home?
Stay away from the area. Keep children and pets clear. Do not try to fill it yourself. Call 911 if it’s growing quickly or near a road. Then contact your city’s public works department and your insurance company. Take photos and note the date and time. The state offers free sinkhole inspections through the Florida Geological Survey - request one online.
Donald Sullivan
November 23, 2025 AT 08:28Man, I can’t believe the city knew about that leak since 2022 and did nothing. This wasn’t luck-it was negligence. Maria survived, but someone else won’t be so lucky if they don’t start holding these bureaucrats accountable.
Tina van Schelt
November 24, 2025 AT 13:28That woman was a goddamn warrior. Imagine being buried alive, no light, no sound, just the hum of your own heartbeat and the cold kiss of dirt on your skin… and still, she tapped. Not screaming. Not begging. Just… tapping. Like a drummer in the dark, keeping time until someone finally listened. My soul’s still ringing from that.
Ronak Khandelwal
November 25, 2025 AT 21:26❤️✨ Maria’s story is a cosmic reminder: even when the ground beneath you crumbles, your spirit doesn’t have to follow. She didn’t fight the earth-she listened to it. And in the silence, she found strength. To everyone reading: your resilience is your superpower. Keep tapping. Keep believing. The world is listening. 🌱💛
Jeff Napier
November 26, 2025 AT 03:52Sibusiso Ernest Masilela
November 26, 2025 AT 19:15How utterly pedestrian. A woman survives a sinkhole and suddenly we’re all supposed to be moved? Please. This is the third such incident this year in Florida. The real tragedy isn’t the collapse-it’s that we’ve normalized this kind of systemic decay as ‘just Florida.’ You people cry over a car and a shoe, but ignore the rot in the infrastructure that made this inevitable. Pathetic.
Daniel Kennedy
November 27, 2025 AT 05:26For anyone living in central Florida: this isn’t just about insurance. It’s about awareness. If you’ve noticed cracks widening, doors sticking, or pooling water where there wasn’t any before-don’t wait. Call the Florida Geological Survey. Get the free inspection. Talk to your neighbors. One person speaking up could save a life. Maria didn’t just survive-she became a warning. Listen to her.
Taylor Hayes
November 28, 2025 AT 19:26I’ve lived in Orlando for 20 years. I’ve seen sinkholes swallow mailboxes, driveways, even a swing set once. But this… this was different. Not because it was big. Because she held on. And because the community didn’t give up. That’s the real story-not the geology, not the insurance, not the bill. It’s the quiet, stubborn refusal to look away. Thank you, Maria. And thank you, rescuers. You reminded us what humanity looks like.
Sanjay Mittal
November 29, 2025 AT 18:08Interesting how the water main leak was documented but ignored. In India, we have similar issues with aging pipes in old cities like Lucknow and Jaipur. The difference? Here, people file RTI requests and force transparency. In Florida, it takes a near-death experience for anyone to care. The system only moves when someone almost dies. That’s the real tragedy.
Mike Zhong
December 1, 2025 AT 14:51Think about it-she was buried alive for three days. Not by an earthquake. Not by war. By a pipe. A goddamn pipe that someone was supposed to fix. What does that say about our civilization? We build skyscrapers, send probes to Mars, but we can’t maintain water lines? We are not advanced. We are just very good at pretending we are.
Jamie Roman
December 2, 2025 AT 07:36It’s easy to say ‘she was lucky,’ but that ignores the fact that she trained herself to survive. She didn’t panic. She didn’t scream. She tapped. Every hour. On metal. That’s not just willpower-that’s instinct refined by something deeper, maybe trauma, maybe intuition, maybe just pure human stubbornness. And then the rescuers? They didn’t just dig. They listened. They drilled. They followed a sound. That’s the real miracle: two kinds of patience meeting in the dark. One human, one mechanical. Both refusing to quit. That’s the part no headline gets.
Salomi Cummingham
December 4, 2025 AT 06:51There’s a quiet kind of courage that doesn’t make headlines-it’s the kind that taps on a car door in the dark, knowing no one might hear, but doing it anyway. Maria didn’t just survive. She became a hymn. And now, that bench? That plaque? That’s not a memorial. That’s a mirror. Every time someone stops to look, they’re not just remembering her. They’re asking themselves: if the ground gave way right now… would I tap? Or would I scream? Would I wait? Or would I give up? I think… I think I’d tap. I hope I’d tap.
Johnathan Rhyne
December 5, 2025 AT 05:47Technically, the headline says 'Did They Find the Woman Who Fell in a Sinkhole?' But she didn't 'fall'-she was swallowed. The car didn't 'drop'-it was subsumed. And 'rescued' is misleading. She was extracted. Language matters. Also, 'engineered grout' is not a thing-it's cementitious grout. Fix your grammar, Florida.
Jawaharlal Thota
December 7, 2025 AT 00:35People focus on the miracle, but the real lesson is in the prevention. In India, we have community-based monitoring for land subsidence in places like Delhi and Chennai. Residents report cracks, water seepage, even the smell of wet earth-it’s part of daily life. No waiting for a disaster. No waiting for a bill. Just awareness, shared responsibility, and action. Florida could learn from villages that have lived with unstable ground for centuries. You don’t need fancy tech. You need neighbors who care enough to speak up.
Lauren Saunders
December 8, 2025 AT 01:16Oh please. Another feel-good story about a woman who ‘survived’ because the media needed a happy ending. Meanwhile, the city’s still dumping toxic grout into the aquifer, the insurance companies are raising rates, and the bill won’t even apply retroactively. This isn’t a triumph-it’s a PR stunt dressed in empathy. Wake up. The system didn’t save her. She saved herself. And now they’re using her to sell more policies. Disgusting.
sonny dirgantara
December 8, 2025 AT 23:26