Jeffrey Bush has been presumed dead since 2013, but the final thing he said is unforgettable
The lasting memory of a loved one is a hard image to forget, and even worse when it happens in such a dramatic fashion.
For Florida resident Jeremy Bush, the last memory of his brother Jeffrey is one that’s firmly etched into his memory.
In March 2013, Jeremy remembers hearing his brother calling for him from his bedroom in their home in Seffner and upon rushing in to see what help he needed, he was met with a sight he’s never gotten out of his head.
Instead of his sibling, he instead found a huge sinkhole on the floor and no sign of his brother.
Presuming Jeffrey must have fallen in, Jeremy attempted to reach in and even climbed in to try and grab his brother. Yet all efforts proved pointless, as Jeremy couldn’t find his sibling at all but claims he could still hear his screams.
He says the final thing his brother said is something he has never forgotten as he explained: “The floor was still giving in and the dirt was still going down, but I didn’t care.
“He was screaming my name. I could swear I heard him hollering my name to help him. I wanted to save my brother. But I just couldn’t do nothing.”
Jeffrey Bush has been presumed dead since March 2013. (ABC Action News)
After jumping in and finding himself stuck in at neck-level of mud, Jeremy was saved by a police officer from the Tampa Police Department.
However, there was no sign of Jeffrey’s body, and even when equipment was later lowered into the sinkhole it could find no traces of him.
The loss has been devastating for Jeremy and his family, including his wife and daughter who were also in the house at the time.
The home was declared to be too unsafe for Jeremy and his family to stay in, with rescue efforts called off and engineers no longer allowed to continue to search.
Eventually the property was demolished and filled in with gravel, leaving the family none the wiser to where Jeffrey could be.
The sinkhole was later filled in and the property demolished. (ABC Action News)
Jeremy said: “She keeps asking where her Uncle Jeff is. I lost everything. I work so hard to support my wife and kid and I lost everything.”
But as Jeffrey has been missing for over a decade, he has now been presumed dead.
The sinkhole reopened a few years after Jeffrey’s disappearance, and had to be fenced off from the public as a safety precaution.
about 27,000 reported sinkhole incidents across the state in 2022.
Featured Image Credit: ABC Action News