"We experienced obviously a big 3sinkhole in the middle of our 4turf fields."
Alton Parks and Rec director Michael Haynes told 5 On Your Side he was first made 5aware of the problem around 8:00 AM.
"6By the time we saw it, it had already 7collapsed. It was right around then. It kind of all went 8at once."
The collapse occurred in the middle of soccer field 3, where teams of kids would typically be sitting, but thankfully no one was hurt.
"I can't imagine it being when we had a bunch of people out here. So we're fortunate."
According to a spokesman for New Frontier Materials, the 9roughly 100-foot-wide hole that's 10estimated to be over 30 feet deep was caused due to 11subsidence of their underground 12limestone mine.
"They were able to get all of their workers out from underground and the mines, which is the most important thing. Everybody sounds like they're safe. And there was nothing going on, obviously, at the surface to where, we had any issues up here."
As the Mine Safety Health Association begins an investigation into the subsidence, New Frontier says it's working with Alton officials to fix the issue as quickly as possible.
"We're kind of waiting to hear back from the mine and see what the 13geologists and the engineers have to say about it and just follow their lead on where to go from here. They can 14determine what happened, why it happened, how to 15prevent it, and how we fix what has happened here."
