Portland man's body found in backyard sinkhole

PORTLAND — The body of a Portland man was found in a sinkhole partly filled with water in his backyard after a worried friend called police, authorities said.

Michael Zerwas, 57, died of a combination of hypothermia and drowning, but survived the initial fall into the hole, according to Dr. Karin Gunson, the state medical examiner.

Officials say the 5-foot-wide, 35-foot-deep hole opened up over what appeared to be a brick-lined cistern that may be nearly a century old.

Justin de Ruyter, one of the firefighters called to the scene on Sunday, said he used to run across similar cisterns while fighting wildland fires in Eastern Washington.

Police were called to check on Zerwas after a friend in the Midwest said she hadn't heard from him.

City records show Zerwas' home was built in 1937. De Ruyter said that when the land was converted to residential property, cisterns were covered with boards and dirt then forgotten.

De Ruyter said he believes Zerwas was gardening when the ground collapsed.

"It looked like he might have fallen backwards out of his shoes," de Ruyter said. "Once he fell in, the water is 45 to 50 degrees, and there is nothing to grab on to to climb out."