Edmonton police are calling attention to a hidden cave they uncovered being used as a shelter in Edmonton’s River Valley.
The Edmonton Police Service, alongside Alberta’s sheriffs branch, released a video of the discovery.
Sgt. Serge Soucy, who was on scene with other officers, said that a hole leading to the cave was covered by a piece of steel.
“They just happened to move it out of the way and discovered a cave that had been dug in here and found an occupant inside the cave,” said Soucy. He added that it is one of the most unique structures the police have encountered.
The cave was approximately five feet deep and nearly 12 feet across, according to the Edmonton Police Service.
The police returned to the cave after its initial discovery and found it collapsed.
“Today we’ve noticed that someone or something has caused it to cave in… Absolutely dangerous,” said Soucy.
Luckily, the individual living in the cave had been relocated to the government’s “navigation and support centre” for homeless people days earlier.
The Edmonton Police Service and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services were still dispatched on-site to confirm that no one was injured or buried due to the collapse.
Soucy recommended destroying the cave to ensure nobody attempts to excavate it further.
The Edmonton Police Service said that it has not seen an increase of encampments in Edmonton’s River Valley.
“The majority of encampments continue to be concentrated in the downtown core and other green spaces around the city, though their size and numbers continue to shrink as more and more occupants are connected to support services, including those for mental health addictions and housing,” the police service said in a statement.
True North previously reported that as of Jan. 6, there were 2,987 homeless people in the city, a figure that has since been revised to 2,868.
