The body of 59-year-old Timothy Hougendobler, of West Lampeter Township, is gently lifted out of a 10-to 15-foot hole by ropes attached to Willow Street Fire Company's aerial ladder truck. Hougendobler died Friday due to injuries sustained in the fall.
The body of 59-year-old Timothy Hougendobler, of West Lampeter Township, is gently lifted out of a 10-to 15-foot hole by ropes attached to Willow Street Fire Company's aerial ladder truck. Hougendobler died Friday due to injuries sustained in the fall.
Emergency workers are at the scene Friday night of an incident where a man fell into a hole and died in West Lampeter Township.
Police have identified a man who was found dead in a sinkhole Friday in West Lampeter Township as 59-year-old Timothy Hougendobler.
Hougendobler was found lying face-down in the hole in the front yard of 1821 Conestoga Ave. at 5:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a county deputy coroner.
Police said Saturday they don't know if the victim, who they said had "some disabilities," died as a result of the fall or suffered a medical issue. An autopsy will be performed Monday.
Hougendobler was a friend of the homeowner and had been staying at the residence after experiencing housing problems, West Lampeter Township police Officer Steve Heinly said.
He said Hougendobler had lived at several different Lancaster addresses in recent years. He believed the victim was a county native.
Heinly said Hougendobler's body was discovered by the homeowner who came home from work and couldn't find his friend.
The owner looked all over the property and then noticed that items had been moved from around the sinkhole, which had been in the yard for a couple of months, Heinly said.
Medical personnel who were called to the home determined the victim to be deceased.
Emergency rescue crews arrived around 6 p.m. and worked for about two hours, through driving rain and strong winds, before they were able to recover the body.
The hole, which Heinly estimated to be about six feet deep, had been roped off with yellow tape and was covered with boards and plywood, he said.
"(The victim) previously said to the homeowner that he wanted to figure out how big the hole was and how to get it filled," Heinly said. "(The homeowner) told him to leave it alone."
Heinly declined Saturday to name of the owner of the home, saying that the man "has gone through a lot lately."
A fire official said Friday that the hole will be filled by West Lampeter Township work crews.
