SMYRNA, TN (WGNS) - A Smyrna homeowner got the surprise of his life while mowing his yard last month when what he thought was a simple rut turned out to be something far more serious. As he backed his mower out of the soft spot, the ground continued to give way — eventually opening into a hole large enough to swallow a pet or even a small child.

The resident, who lives with his wife on Breslin Avenue, tried to gauge the depth using rope and weighted line. The results were unsettling: the hole appeared to drop at least 20 feet, possibly more.

Breslin Avenue is a quiet residential street just off Nissan Drive, tucked near the automaker’s North American headquarters. Like most of Rutherford County, the neighborhood sits on limestone-rich terrain known for its karst features — underground drainage channels, pockets of soft rock, and the occasional sinkhole. While the area isn’t known for large caverns, small voids beneath the surface are common, and sometimes they make themselves known in dramatic fashion.

Unfortunately, the couple’s shock quickly turned into frustration. Their insurance company informed them that sinkhole damage isn’t covered under their policy. When they reached out to the Town of Smyrna, officials explained that because the hole is on private property, the town cannot step in.

That leaves the retired couple — living on a fixed income — staring at a widening problem with no clear path forward. The hole remains open, the ground around it unstable, and the cost of repair far beyond what most homeowners could manage alone.

Right now, the Breslin Avenue pair are quite literally in a hole and trying to climb out. And at least for the moment, no cavalry appears to be coming.