A Florida resident who was lying in bed reportedly fell into a sinkhole that opened up abruptly under his suburban Tampa home, as he yelled out to his brother for help.

According to News 8000, five other individuals, including a 2-year-old child, were able to escape the home. Rescuers had to pull the victim's brother off the edge of the sinkhole as it ate away at the ground underneath the home.

The 36-year-old unnamed man was presumed dead after monitoring equipment lowered by engineers detected no signs of life, said Jessica Damico, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County Fire Department.

However, the rescue team wasn't able to go into the hole to check, as there is concern that it's still spreading and the house could collapse at any moment.

Authorities forced surrounding residents to evacuate their homes in case the hole continues to grow, Damico said.

The sinkhole is said to be naturally occurring, appearing roughly 100 feet across, which is based on estimates made by engineers using radar equipment. The hole may be as deep as 50 feet, said the authorities, but isn't visible except from inside the home.

Rescue teams were forced to stand by on Friday morning for engineers with more advanced equipment to examine the site of the incident.

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, sinkholes are considered common in Florida, as the state lies on bedrock composed of limestone or other carbonate rock that can deteriorate by acidic groundwater, forming voids that collapse when the rock can no longer hold the weight of what's above it.

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