Sinkhole in Florida – Courtesy: Shutterstock by Sherri_j’s_pics
The state’s deepest point is a sinkhole filled with water called the “Mystery Sink,” located near Orange County’s northernmost tip.
Furthermore, most cars have probably driven by it unnoticed because of its proximity to Interstate 4.
The hourglass-shaped pit is estimated by the Orange County Regional History Center to be around 150 feet in diameter and 500 feet deep, possibly deeper.
Compared to other well-known sinkholes like Deep Lake or the Winter Park sinkhole from 1981, that is far deeper.
You won’t likely hear about it, though.
According to old newspaper clippings, a 16-year-old teen went scuba diving in the lake in 1970 with Hal Watts, a local diving instructor who had rented the facility to teach deep-water diving.
While looking for a misplaced safety vest in the water, Watts came to the realization that the teenager had vanished from his life. According to reports, Watts saw the adolescent’s light below him, but it vanished before he could locate the teen.
When Watts awoke from his blackout, the child was unable to be found, and it was assumed that the teenager had drowned.
This sparked a thorough investigation to find the 16-year-old’s body.
According to the sheriff’s office, three days later, Bud Sims, a different diver who was assisting with the search, was entangled in the lines being used to locate the boy’s body.
He lost his mouthpiece and swam rapidly toward the surface as a result of his terror, according to deputies.
The crew of a TV boat that was floating above the dive team reported feeling a thump before noticing a light that had fallen further into the lake. Sims had passed already, according to the investigators, even before he hit the boat.
Watts, who had joined the dive team for the search, was obliged to stay down until first responders could transport him to a recompression chamber because he had the bends. Nevertheless, Watts was racing after Sims at the moment.
In the end, neither the teen’s nor Sims’ remains were ever found, and since the sinkhole had claimed two lives, it was permanently closed to the public and surrounded by a substantial barbed fence.
Since the sinkhole is still located on private property, access is restricted to authorized individuals only.
News 6 has chosen to withhold the precise address for this site out of respect for the owner’s privacy, as the owner refuses to speak with us about the sinkhole.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
