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Has anyone here ever done a dive in the Winter Park Sink Hole aka Lake Rose? This made national news in 1981 when it opened up and swallowed a 3 bedroom home and part of a car dealership taking several new Porsches in the process. The final hole size was 350' feet wide by 75 to 80' feet deep. Located off FairBank Road in Winter Park, Florida.
I think it was grouted once it stablized that's why it looks like any othe green lake in central florida.
I spoke to two people that dove it on the Fire/Rescue team. It is a bottom covered in muck and not much of a dive.
I am not one to tell you to not go take a look, but....
They did massive amounts of work to stabilize the shores from my understanding.
It is a very interesting story, all said and done.
The home was swallowed so slowly, I understand they got most of the stuff out of it. I'm told the lady called the police to report that trees in her yard were disappearing... The swimming pool was leaking water in the days preceeding the sinkhole, and it was eventually partly swallowed. The Porsche dealership lost, I believe 3 cars. You can see them in pictures, I think they stayed upright and were recovered. A camper van type thing also was taken in. The owner of that vehicle was gone on a trip, and when they returned the vehicle had been removed from the sink and placed back on the ground outside (days/weeks after the sinkhole), my understanding is they got in and drove it off, the implication being they were unaware that it had been in a sinkhole, but they might have known, I don't know exactly.
I also believe police left on site to guard the sinkhole during the day/night it was opening and expanding, reported that water levels rose in the sink, then multiple times, the sink "flushed" itself just like a giant toilet. Trees and things would plug up the hole, then manage to pass through and all the accumulated water went underground... I would have loved to have been there. There are so many interesting sinkholes in Florida with interesting stories.
Another one I always enjoyed involved a sinkhole in a road, which swallowed a car. A cop was behind the car and suddenly noticed the lights disappeared (it was at night). He then found the car sitting in a sinkhole. I believe everyone was fine but I could be wrong. Anyways, as they are getting the person out and keeping traffic stopped, someone notices pine trees across the road getting shorter and shorter. Much larger sinkhole was opening over there, andit was like a huge circle sunk 20-40 feet (I forget the exact depth).
I love Florida, sinkholes are amazing, but most amazing when there is no loss of life or property. Fascinating geology!
Some of our OW divers dived it earlier this year, found some old stolen vehicles, reported the license plates to the city, and the Orange County Sheriff Divers came in, recovered a couple and I heard they got to prosecute some folks for insurance fraud.... oh, and no holes found... :(
Nope, but I used to love to play on the playground next to it!
Here are some threads on Dayo Forum on recent diving in Lake Rose
Lake Rose Info
Lake Rose Pics and Video