♪♪♪ >>> ACTION 9 NEWS AT 5:00.
EYE ON TAMPA. >> GOOD EVENING.
I'M BETH RUNYON. >> AND I'M JACK TRASK.
OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT, PANIC IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA.
A 70-FOOT-WIDE SINKHOLE OPENED UP IN A WESTFIELD SHOPPING
CENTER PARKING LOT. >> ACTION 9'S NEIL McNABB IS
LIVE ON THE SCENE, NEIL? >> THANK YOU, BETH.
QUITE A CHAOTIC SCENE HERE. EMERGENCY CREWS ARE WORKING HARD
TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY
HURT, INCLUDING THESE TWO SHOPPERS.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAPPENED? >> YEAH.
SORRY, I'M STILL SHAKING. I WAS WALKING TOWARDS MY CAR.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT SORT OF FELT LIKE THE GROUND WAS
MELTING. >> YEAH, CARS FELL IN, IT WAS
CRAZY. I'M JUST VERY HAPPY MY WIFE AND
I ARE OKAY. >> THIS IS YOUR WIFE?
>> UH, YES. >> YOU TWO ARE MARRIED TO EACH
OTHER? >> YES, SIR.
>> JUST MAKING SURE I HEARD THAT RIGHT.
WELL. A CLOSE CALL HERE TODAY
FOR THIS MULTI-MILLIONAIRE AND HIS LOVELY WIFE.
>> OH, I'M NOT A MILLIONAIRE. >> OH, I APOLOGIZE.
I ASSUMED THAT YOU WERE A VERY WEALTHY MAN.
>> YEAH, I WISH. SHE'S KIND OF THE BREADWINNER IN
OUR HOUSE. >> WELL, WE'RE A TEAM AND IF I
FELT WEIRD ABOUT BEING THE MAIN INCOME EARNER, I WOULDN'T HAVE
MARRIED A PUPPETEER. >> HE'S A PUPPET -- I'M SORRY I
YELLED. JUST A LOT HAPPENING.
>> SO IF YOU CAN HEAR ME THROUGH THE MONITOR THERE, DID YOU SEE
HOW MANY VEHICLES FELL INTO THE SINKHOLE?
>> AND ALSO, SIR, I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE FAMOUS PARENTS OR
SOMETHING? >> IT'S A LITTLE LOUD, YOU ASKED
HOW MANY CARS FELL IN? I GUESS SEVEN OR EIGHT?
>> INCLUDING OUR KIA SPORTAGE. >> YOU DRIVE THIS SMOKESHOW
AROUND IN A KIA SPORTAGE? >> ARE YOU MAD AT ME, SIR?
>> NO, NO, I'M JUST A LITTLE OVERWHELMED BY THE SCENE HERE
TODAY. STILL A LOT OF UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS. I'M LIVE IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA WITH,
I'M SORRY, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? >> MATT SHATT.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> YOUR NAME IS MATT SHATT?
>> UH, YES SHATT WITH TWO "Ts." >> DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY BETTER.
[ LAUGHTER ] AND YOU'RE MARRIED TO THIS
WOMAN? WHOSE NAME IS?
>> ALEXANDRA KENNEDY-SHATT. >> SHE'S A KENNEDY.
AND SHE PUT A SHATT ON IT. [ LAUGHTER ]
BACK TO YOU! >> YOU'D THINK WITH THE LAST
NAME SHATT HE'D GO WITH MATTHEW, RIGHT?
>> YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. JOINING US NOW VIA WEBCAM IS CAL
TECH SEISMOLOGY PROFESSOR REED DODDEN WHO'S AN EXPERT ON
SINKHOLES. PROFESSOR, WHAT CAUSES SOMETHING
LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN? >> WELL, IT VARIES.
MOST LIKELY THEY WERE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WHO GREW UP TOGETHER AND
THAT BLOSSOMED INTO A ROMANCE OVER TIME.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERRING TO
THE COUPLE THAT WAS JUST INTERVIEWED.
I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE SINKHOLE. >> OH, IT'S PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS
UNDERGROUND WATER. >> OKAY.
NEIL, ANY SIGN OF WATER DAMAGE DOWN THERE?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN JUST PAN DOWN A LITTLE,
RICK. YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S SOME MUD
AND OH MY GOD. [ LAUGHTER ]
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] MATT SHATT IS WEARING CROCS AND
SOCKS. HE'S MARRIED TO THE LORD'S
MISTRESS. AND HE'S WEARING CROCS.
WITH SOCKS. SENDING IT BACK TO YOU IN THE
STUDIO! >> OKAY WELL, WE WILL UPDATE YOU
AS THAT SITUATION DEVELOPS. WE NOW TURN TO KAREN HOFFSTEDDER
WITH SPORTS. BIG GAME THIS WEEKEND.
>> YEAH, BUCS PLAYING THE BRONCOS.
OKAY, I GOT TWO THEORIES. [ LAUGHTER ]
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] ONE, THIS DUDE MATT IS PACKING A
TREE TRUNK IN HIS PANTS. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
OR TWO, HE KIDNAPPED HER AND SHE GOT STOCKHOLM SYNDROME.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> I'M SORRY, WE CAN STILL HEAR
YOU. AND FOR THE RECORD, I'M WITH MY
HUSBAND BECAUSE HE IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST MEN I'VE EVER MET.
MOST MEN WOULD BE MAD AT THE WORLD IF THEY WERE BORN WITH
JUST TESTICLES AND NO PENIS. NOT MY MATT SHATT.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> NEIL McNABB REPORTING LIVE.
FROM A WORLD THAT NO LONGER MAKES SENSE.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> THANK YOU, NEIL.
QUITE A SITUATION IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA.
>> YEAH. AND THERE'S THAT SINKHOLE TOO.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]