SEFFNER (FOX 13) -
Days after 37-year-old Jeffrey Bush was tragically swallowed by a sinkhole, his family is coming to grips with the fact that they'll never get him back.
In a tearful exchange with the media Monday morning, brother Jeremy Bush said he felt hopeless as he stood in front of the family's home, which will now be demolished. He said he realized the family will also lose many of their belongings.
In the background as he spoke, a large crane tore down walls in the home, pulling it back toward the street.
"I feel like they could have tried harder to get my brother out of
there," said Jeremy Bush, choking back tears as he stood in front of the
home. "That was my brother. No one is even talking about what my mom
and dad are going through. They don't want to be on camera. My mom and
dad are going through hell right now."
VIDEO: View of sinkhole becomes more clear as crews demolish home: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/21448827/2013/03/03/demolition-process-begins-at-seffner-sinkhole-house
Jeremy Bush tried to save his brother when the earth opened up in his bedroom. Jeremy himself had to be pulled out of the sinkhole by a deputy, likely saving his life.
"No one ever wants to bury their kid before they go," Jeremy Bush said. "I love my mom and dad with all my heart and I just want my mom and dad to know that I love you and I tried to save your son. I tried my hardest."
Jeremy said he hopes crews can recover whatever they can.
"I want some kind of memories of him," he said. "I want his hats. I want his clothes. I want anything that was in his room. "
Right now, it's a meticulous process for crews, who had torn down most of the house by Monday afternoon. They were able to open up part of Jeff's room, giving engineers a first look at the sinkhole, which covers the entire floor of the room.
The walls, however, seemed to be untouched. Even a coat remained hanging from the wall in the room. Crews were concerned about sending any more debris into the hole. It's still unclear just how deep it goes.
Hillsborough County spokesman Willie Puz said the debris from the home will be dragged toward the street, so they can try and recover as much as they can.
"Hopefully today we'll have the house down and will have a better idea of the sinkhole," Puz said.
Firefighters from Hillsborough County delivered priceless possessions in exchange for hugs and cheers Sunday. Wanda Carter clutched a Bible rescued from the rubble.
"[This] means that God's still in control, and he knew we needed this for closure," Carter explained. "We have each other, and that's all that matters."
The massive crevice has also forced the family's neighbors to evacuate their homes. During a Saturday morning news conference, officials announced the green house to the left of the Bush's had been compromised by the sinkhole.
Engineers will check on the structural integrity of those residences over the next few days. Engineers have been studying the hole for days, but now that they've seen it, they should learn a lot more.
Our first look at the sinkhole, as seen from SkyFOX on Monday.
