Bravery Amidst a Sinkhole Incident
It was just another Tuesday for Olivia Borsatzki, a student-athlete at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her routine involved attending classes and then heading to the Mavericks’ training facility for physical therapy related to her injury.
One afternoon, as she practiced, she hopped into a purple vehicle with her teammate Esra Kurban to grab a bite at the cafeteria. That’s when things took an unexpected turn. While waiting at a red light, Olivia thought she witnessed an accident between a truck and an SUV, though her line of sight was obstructed by trees. But as they got closer, she realized it wasn’t an accident at all; a car had fallen into a sinkhole, leading to a moment that would soon go viral.
Borsatzki, a third-year student from Germany, and Kurban, a first-year student from Türkiye, quickly jumped into action. As soon as videos of their good deeds started to circulate on social media, they received a flood of messages complimenting their bravery.
Borsatzki reflected on the situation, saying, “(Omaha head coach Jamie Carey) always tells us to serve the community and be there for people beyond just being athletes.” She emphasized that what they did felt completely normal to her.
When Olivia ran towards the sinkhole, her thoughts weren’t focused on the alarming situation. In Germany, sinkholes were something she had only heard about; witnessing one up close was a completely different experience. Her adrenaline kicked in as she noted that no one else was stepping up to help.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she told Kurban they needed to act. He agreed, and she maneuvered her car onto the sidewalk before making her way to the scene. She was surprised to find the sinkhole was larger than she had imagined—city officials would later estimate it to be between 30 to 50 feet wide and 10 to 15 feet deep.
Initially, she attempted to assist a man struggling to escape from the SUV, calling for help from another bystander to move him to a safer location. Throughout this ordeal, Borsatzki noticed many onlookers who were filming the scene, some even laughing, while others drove past without stopping. It baffled her that she and Kurban were the first to offer help.
“I think everyone should do that,” she stated, expressing confusion over why their actions became newsworthy. “Helping people should be a normal response, though sinkholes, of course, are not.”
Kurban chose to remain back while Olivia focused on assisting those involved. After they called 911, they stayed at the scene for a few minutes until the police arrived.
The two athletes had formed a bond since arriving in Nebraska, living in the same apartment and spending extra time together. While Kurban had seen limited playing time—totalling just 95 minutes in the season—Borsatzki, still working through her injury, always encouraged him to persevere and reminded him that brighter days were ahead.
Before the incident, they were relatively under the radar, but everything changed once news of their actions spread. After leaving the scene, Olivia messaged her teammates, and though her parents were in Germany and asleep at the time, they soon reached out, expressing concern for her safety. Borsatzki recalled a lighthearted moment when she joked about her coach recognizing her car, since there were only two purple vehicles in Omaha.
While some friends back home shared clips of the event, many suggested she was being reckless. “At first, they were worried something might happen to me, but honestly, I wasn’t really thinking about that at the moment,” she noted.
As news broke, Borsatzki and Kurban’s names began trending online. Their actions garnered millions of views and even made it onto “SportsCenter,” where many praised their bravery. They both received spontaneous compliments from fellow students on campus; however, Borsatzki found the attention somewhat overwhelming, hoping their actions would encourage others to help in similar situations.
“I’d hope someone would come and save me if I were in need,” she remarked.
Since then, Borsatzki has returned to focusing on basketball. The day after the event, she cheered for her teammates as they secured a win against Oral Roberts. Despite earning recognition for her quick response, she emphasized that her basketball performance is what she truly wants to be remembered for.
