Pensioner dies after falling into 130ft hole he dug into floor because 'a spirit revealed that gold was buried down there'
11 January 2024, 13:38
A pensioner has died after falling into a hole he dug into the floor of his house because he dreamed gold was buried down there.
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João Pimenta da Silva, 71, overbalanced and fell down into the hole he had dug himself, which was the equivalent of 12 storeys deep and 35 inches in diameter.
His neighbour told local news outlets that João had dreamed that there was gold beneath his house, and that the pensioner became obsessed.
Arnaldo da Silva said João had told him that a "spirit" had 'revealed' the presence of gold underneath his property.
He warned João not to go down into the hole, but the pensioner ignored him, he said.
He said: "João had spent more than a year digging the hole and hired many people to do the excavating work.
"He began by paying £11.30 a day when the hole was still shallow but the deeper he went the more the costs went up.
"He ended up paying around £80 to anyone who entered the hole and helped to remove earth.
"He had hit a large stone that appeared which was difficult to remove and there were rumours he had been talking about trying to get hold of dynamite."
The local fire service said that they had been called out to a house in the neighbourhood of Betânia in the city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais.
They tried to rescue João, but he had suffered head injuries and leg fractures, as well as other broken bones.
Fire service staff said: "In Ipatinga, a 71-year-old man dug a hole about 40 meters deep in the kitchen of his residence. He ended up falling into it and dying.
"According to witness reports, the victim had a 'revelation' in a dream that there was gold under his house."
