McDonald's sinkhole nearly swallows grandma, grandson

Passengers escaped uninjured after Cooper City parking lot incident

COOPER CITY, Fla. – A grandmother and her young grandson got more than they bargained for at a Cooper City McDonald's on Thursday afternoon.

The two were approaching the restaurant drive-thru at 10260 Griffin Road when their vehicle was swallowed by a small sinkhole in the parking lot.

The woman and 4-year-old boy were uninjured and able to escape the vehicle.

"She was a bit nervous, especially being by herself with her grandson," the boy's mother, Michelle Otero, said.

Local 10 News reporter Andrew Perez also spoke to the boy after the incident, who said that he was worried about his toy lion named Alex, from the "Madagascar movies," after the SUV slid into the sinkhole.

"Abuela was scared and we were stuck," Angel said. "I was so worried about Alex."

Luckily, Alex was just fine too.

Pictures showed the front left side of the SUV almost fully engulfed in the hole as water seeped into it.

BSO Department of Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said the woman saw the sinkhole as she was pulling up and stopped right before it. Jachles said the sinkhole then widened, swallowing part of the SUV.

It's believed that a water main break nearby caused the sinkhole.

Authorities said crews will replace a 12-inch water main in the McDonald's parking lot, which will only effect the restaurant.

The fast food joint will be boiling its water until Monday, although the water main is expected to be repaired late Thursday or early Friday.


About the Authors:

Andrew Perez is a South Florida native who joined the Local 10 News team in May 2014.