Omaha man meets woman who helped pull him from sinkhole
Reunion at 67th and Pacific comes days after SUV fell into sinkhole Monday
The Omaha man who fell into a sinkhole was reunited with the woman who helped him out. (WOWT)
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Jonathan Inman and Callie Miller embraced and laughed Thursday afternoon when they met for the second time — the first being the moment Miller ran to help Inman after his red SUV fell into a sinkhole at 67th and Pacific on Tuesday.
“My thought in my head was… I just need to get out of this car right away,” Inman said.
Next thing he knew:
‘I am in a sinkhole’
Inman said the incident happened without warning. One moment he was sitting at a red light. Seconds later, his vehicle dropped.
“I remember sitting there and then I think just kind of feeling just a fall. It’s not like a sinking feeling even,” Inman said. “A few seconds later… I am in a sinkhole.”
Bystanders rushed toward the car within seconds of the drop.
UNO student was first to reach the car
University of Nebraska Omaha student Callie Miller was sitting in a white car nearby. She ran to Inman’s red SUV first, where Inman navigated getting to the edge of the sinkhole.
“My first thought is that we need to get him out,” Miller said.
Miller immediately dialed 911 and reached out to pull Inman up as more people rushed over to help.
“I always think: What would I do? What would I do if I was in that situation? And, you don’t really think… you just do,” Miller said.
‘The whole collective’
Inman said he was grateful for everyone who helped and had expressed a desire to meet them.
“I would love to be able to meet you and just say thank you,” Inman said.
At Thursday’s reunion, Inman thanked Miller directly for calling 911.
“Thank you so much for making that phone call,” Inman said.
Miller credited those around her.
“I felt like that couldn’t have been done without the whole collective,” Miller said. “If anyone else was in my shoes, they would have done the exact same thing.”
“It can be really inspiring and uplifting to see complete strangers just come together and do a really good thing,” Miller added.
Inman said the experience left him with a broader takeaway.
“You’re capable of more than you realize,” Inman said.
The city said repairs at the site could take weeks, pending a timeline from MUD. The area will remain closed until those repairs are complete.