Some visitors allowed to gather belongings after sinkhole swallows Disney-area resort

CLERMONT, Fla. —
Some guests at the Summer Bay Resorts were allowed back inside some of the remaining buildings Tuesday after nearly a third of the resort collapsed into a sinkhole late Sunday night.

Engineers are still working to figure out if the two buildings on the edge of the sinkhole are stable enough to let people back inside, although they have said the sinkhole has stopped growing.

Management said it's unlikely everyone is going to be able to recover a lot of things from the middle building, the main structure that crumbled to the bottom of the sinkhole.

A family who lost everything in the collapse told Channel 9 they had to go out and purchase all-new belongings.

"I was in it. I saw it collapsing. I was in the building when it started separating and shifting," said victim Gail Church.

Church said she and her family got out just before the 60-foot wide sinkhole swallowed their hotel room and everything in it.

"Nothing left," she said. "We spent the day yesterday, new groceries, new clothes, new toiletries. We had to replace everything."

Church said she and her family are taking their new clothes and heading home to DeLand.

"I am feeling confused, frustrated, angry, upset," said victim Matt Church.

Nearly 200 guests staying in the villa were evacuated Sunday night, as were those in the neighboring buildings.

No injuries were reported.

The villa, with 24 three-story units, was reported as a total loss. The resort, however, is staying open for business, Channel 9 has learned.

WFTV