HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania - A 64-year-old grandmother who went missing while looking for a family pet cat is believed to have fallen into a large sinkhole near their residence.

In a press conference on Thursday (December 5), Pennsylvania State Trooper Steve Limani said Elizabeth Pollard disappeared in Unity Township, on Monday (December 2) when she failed to return to their home after coming out to look for her pet cat, Pepper around 5 pm.

Relatives reported Pollard’s disappearance the following day.

After receiving the report, police immediately search for the grandma and found her five-year-old granddaughter still inside the vehicle.

The vehicle was reportedly parked near a newly-formed giant sinkhole., leading police to surmise that she may have fall into it.

The little girl told first responders that she slept in the car and when she woke up her grandmother was still not around.

“Grandma never came back,” she said.

“At that point in time, we realized this could be a very bad situation,” Limani told a press conference.

With the help of personnel from the Bureau of Mine Safety, rescue teams focused their search for Pollard into the sinkhole..

It is believed that the sinkhole was created during the time that Pollard was walking to look for her cat.

“It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said.

The Associated Press reported that Limani has revealed that rescuers found a shoe “about 30 feet (nine meters) below the surface”, adding that it may be owned by the missing woman.