NEW YORK, Dec 4: Authorities are conducting an extensive search for 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard, a Pennsylvania grandmother who disappeared after falling into a large sinkhole while searching for her missing cat, Pepper.

Pollard was reported missing around 1 a.m. Tuesday by concerned family members. She was last seen earlier that evening in Unity Township, Westmoreland County. State troopers discovered her car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant, with her five-year-old granddaughter still inside. The vehicle was found near a sinkhole located just a few feet away.

State Trooper Steve Limani expressed grave concerns after the sinkhole was found, saying, "We at that point in time realized that this could be a very bad situation."

The sinkhole, small at the surface but significantly wider underground, presents challenges for the search. Authorities believe it may have formed suddenly due to the area's old coal mines, potentially as Pollard walked nearby while looking for her cat.

Pollard was last seen around 5 p.m. on Monday by restaurant customers. Initial attempts to locate her involved using a ladder and harness to inspect the sinkhole, but there were no immediate signs of her presence.

Search efforts intensified, employing cameras, listening devices, and over 100 rescuers at one point. One camera did capture what appeared to be a shoe in the sinkhole, described as modern and unlikely to belong to historical coal mine workers.

John Bacha, Chief of the Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Company, noted the precarious nature of the sinkhole, which hindered rescue efforts. "You couldn't even get close enough to the hole because of the way it was undermined," he explained.

Ligonier Construction is now assisting officers and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines to excavate and stabilize the sinkhole. Despite these efforts, there has been no communication with Pollard so far.

Pollard’s granddaughter, who remained unharmed after spending nearly 12 hours in near-freezing temperatures, has been reunited with her parents. However, the child was unable to provide any details about what occurred, with Limani stating, "She was just a five-year-old girl waiting in the car for her grandmother to come back."

Unity Township has declared a disaster emergency, allowing the township and emergency services to bypass standard procedures to quickly acquire necessary equipment for the search. Officials remain hopeful that Pollard may have found herself in a void within the sinkhole, which could provide oxygen and warmer temperatures.

"Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky," Limani said. Search efforts are set to continue overnight.