If you’re dreaming of getting an in-ground pool in your backyard, then be careful what you wish for! This ‘lucky’ Australian couple got one for free… They didn’t want such a thing in their backyard, but they got it anyway. One day, as they were looking out the window, something unexpected happened. Their garden wound up having a pool, all happening overnight.
Shocked about their discovery, the couple contacted the authorities. You won’t believe what happened!
20. A Huge Redecoration
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A couple in Australia didn’t plan on getting a pool on their property. One day, in Ipswich, Queensland, as they looked through the window of their home, they saw something that would change their lives. It was a sort of hole filled with water.
19. Ground Was Being Swallowed
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How did that happen in just a night? One moment the ground was there and then it started crumbling and sinking. Lynn and Ray McKay were living a peaceful life in the suburb Basin Pocket, but that discovery was shocking.
18. Authorities Had To See The Pool!
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The McKays didn’t know what to do, so they contacted the local authorities. A team came to see what was that shocked the couple and as soon as they saw the huge sinkhole, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
17. The Sinkhole Was Huge
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The government was also alerted about the situation and together with the authorities, tried to find out what was the cause of the huge sinkhole. They had to act fast because it would have put the houses in danger.
16. The Sinkhole Got …Famous!
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Not only the hole was giant, but it was also growing fast. If nothing was done, soon the entire backyard would be swallowed, and then the McKays’ house too. The terrible discovery reached social media and worried a lot of people.
15. The Hole was Getting Bigger
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As time passed, the ground sank more and the McKays were even more worried. Their minds were put to rest when authorities discovered the cause of the mysterious hole in their backyard.
14. An Old Mine Shaft Was Hidden Under The Yard
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The house of the Australian couple was built on the site where a coal mining shaft has been in the early 1900s. It seems that near their house, more exactly in their backyard, the old shaft collapsed. The McKays also found out why they were living on the street called Coal Road!
13. The Family Had to Move
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The authorities didn’t know if the shaft was also under the McKays’ house. So, the couple had to move temporarily, until the situation was handled. They weren’t safe in their own house, which they bought back in 1991, so they had to move to a nearby hotel.
12. Old Timber Over a Huge Hole
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The sinkhole grew larger and larger and in seven days it reached 20 feet wide by 30 feet deep. Apparently, the timber that covered the old shaft had rotten away and the whole ground above collapsed, covering the hole that was made in the 1900s.
11. The House Wasn’t In Any Danger
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Fortunately, the hole didn’t extend under the house, so the couple didn’t have to worry about that. The mines people came to survey the situation too. They helped with pumping out the water and all the necessary work.
10. Authorities Assessed The Situation
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Before starting work, it was essential to know everything about the shaft, so the mayor stated some facts that proved to be right. He said that they knew there was a shaft in that area, but it was supposed to be 40 meters far from where it was. That’s because the place wasn’t recorded when it got dug in the period of 1903 and 1920.
9. The McKays Received a Lot of Support
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The couple shared breakfast with the Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale and received support from the whole community. The mayor even offered to pay the stay at the hotel if it was necessary. The couple had insurance for the property, but it couldn’t cover much.
8. The Area Had to Be Restricted
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The team started surrounding the area with fences. They had to work fast and let the McKays’ lives go back to normal. They deserved some rest after so many misfortunes, not to mention they weren’t young anymore to have the power to face these situations.
7. Work Started Fast
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As soon as it was safe to work and the cause of the hole has been discovered, the team started with draining the water from the ‘pool’. As soon as they were done, they had to load a truck of dirt to fill the hole from the shaft. If you think it would all go back to normal, you’re wrong!
6. It Would Soon Be Over
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With the hole filled with dirt, the McKays would soon get back to their home and start redecorating their new garden. They were happy to see so many people lending a hand. But their adventures didn’t end that fast…
5. A Souvenir Was Found
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The strange experience ended with a souvenir. Ray saved a piece of wood from the sinkhole and reclaimed it. He made a sign out of it to forever remember that weird chapter of their lives. And they would surely remember it soon…
4. The Ground Gave In Again
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Six months have passed and the couple thought that was it. The garden was fixed and everything was repaired. Look again, cause the ground started to sink once more. It was because of the heavy rain, but the McKays were expecting to see it again.
3. A Christmas Gift For All The Troubles
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The McKays had had their share of unfortunate events in 2011 too when they lost all their belongings in the floods that swept through their house. Impressed by their case, the mayor couldn’t stand aside, so he decided to get the family something for Christmas as a reminder that they’re not alone.
2. Definitely Not a Good Experience!
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After the ground seemed to give in the second time, the Mckays agreed that they were ‘not overly worried but it does make you wonder.’ And who could blame them?
1. Careful What You Wish For!
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So, if you thought that having an in-ground pool was fun, then go ahead and ask the Mckays. They will definitely be of a different opinion.
If the ground keeps on sinking, at this rate they could just give in and create that in-ground pool after all!