Bailey L. Netsch and Claire Cleveland

The Arizona Republic

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. — A man apparently lost his life Friday when a sinkhole opened up behind his vehicle as he was walking, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

The man, whose name has not been released, disappeared between 3 and 3:30 p.m. ET in a farm field as it was being irrigated, witnesses told Queen Creek city officials. When the witnesses tried to locate the man, they found only a large hole behind his truck.

The man was walking to the back of the truck and taking off his work belt when he was swallowed, said a sheriff’s office spokesman, Detective Doug Matteson. Matteson acknowledged it was incredibly bad luck for the ground to give way just as the man was walking in the area.

“It’s kind of like getting stuck by lightning,” the detective said. Queen Creek is about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix.

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Rescuers later found a body in the sinkhole that was about 50 feet wide and at least 15 feet deep but have had trouble extracting it. Water and mud were flowing through because of the irrigation, Matteson said.

Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Bailey L. Netsch and Claire Cleveland on Twitter: @BaileyNetsch and @ClevelandClaire

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