Test results on sinkholes in Ocala expected soon

OCALA, Fla. (FOX 51 WOGX) - It has been one week since sinkholes started opening up in an Ocala neighborhood, forcing families to be evacuated. 

The sinkhole investigation is far from over as Geo-Tech crews continue to conduct penetration tests and take core samples. 

Eight families in the Wynchase complex in Fore Ranch have been forced to evacuate, because of the sinkholes.  The sinkholes started in a retention pond last week, but another sinkhole has formed since then.

“It’s super frustrating on the whole family,” Shannon Cole said. “It’s sad.”

Cole and his family only had minutes to evacuate the townhome they were renting in Wynchase. 

While standing outside his back door, he captured video of one sinkhole opening up in the middle of the retention pond, in what he calls a “water explosion.” 

“Makes you wonder how many more are going to open and how much bigger this really is that we know,” Cole said. 

Returning home on Wednesday, hoping for new information from the HOA, he said he feels left in the dark and defeated, not knowing when he can come back to reclaim his family’s belongings.

“I’d love to move out but I can’t,” he said. 

The American Red Cross provided housing support for six days, but that benefit ran out on Monday. 

Cole, his girlfriend and two children have now moved in with his parents while he continues to look for a place to live.

“We need a place to stay,” he said. 

Cole said he won’t move back to Wynchase given the neighborhood’s history of sinkhole activity. 

Residents said that there have been several sinkholes over the past few years, and they worry that nothing will ever be enough to fix the problem.  It may still be some time before a report is finalized. Crews said they hope to be done drilling by the end of the week.