Home collapses in Martin County, sinkhole is to blame

By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor

A Martin County couple are finding themselves trying to start over after losing their home Friday, Aug.1, when it collapsed in the middle of the night.

Both George and Ruth Patrick were asleep in their one-story house on Turkey Creek Road in Inez when Ruth, after hearing strange noises, called out to her husband.

After a quick investigation by George, he told his wife “Get out of here, this thing is falling in!”

George said by the time they got to the door, the house had already fell in.

“We like to have never got out of there,” he said. “We got out by the good Lord’s help.” The couple fled the home with only the clothes they were wearing.

The couple’s daughter, Deanne Higgenbotham, told The Big Sandy News that Ruth got up at 1 a.m. to use the bathroom and she heard a noise, thinking it was a kitten playing in a box. “It was something blowing everything, doors shutting, and come to find out, it was the house falling in, and how she and him got out was they got half way to the living room when the house was falling in.  A board then hit Ruth in the chest and knocked her on the couch. She got the board off of her and when they got to the door, the concrete porch folded up and then they stepped out of the door about 3 or 4 feet right in a big thing of mud. They had to crawl up to the bank to get out and if it wasn’t for God, they would of never made it. Thank God they are alive.”

Higgenbotham said a sinkhole is believed to be the reason the house collapsed.

First responders arrived to find the structure already collapsed and the couple safe outside, but their two pets were still inside the collapsed structure. Inez Fire Department firefighters entered the damaged home and were able to save the pets.

Emergency medical personnel from Patriot EMS evaluated George and Ruth at the scene for minor injuries.

The Patricks did not have insurance on their home. According to family members, they lost all of their belongings in the colllasped structure that is now unsafe to enter.

 Higgenbotham has set up an account for anyone who would be interested in helping the couple get back on their feet.

The Patricks’ granddaughter, Madison Blackburn, is also seeking resources to help them.

Money can also be sent to Blackburn’s Venmo or PayPal, or left at the church.

Venmo: venmo.com/u/Madison-Blackburn-19

PayPal: paypal.me/MadisonBlackbu

$deannehiggenbotham24

Higgenbotham noted that anything helpful would be greatly appreciated.