Creekside Middle School teacher Robert Heikka went missing back in October 2020 and no one was sure what happened to him. Given that the Florida man was 70 at the time of his disappearance, it seemed unlikely he’d gone anywhere far. However, Port Orange police had no leads on his whereabouts until this week, when Heikka’s remains were discovered inside a submerged car in Volusia County, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement.
The car was only seen since water levels in the canal had “recently dropped significantly.” The roof of the vehicle was the first thing visible above the water, which led to further investigation. Sunshine State Sonar and Recon Dive Recovery later confirmed the vehicle’s make and tag. While it wasn’t initially known if there was anyone inside the vehicle, Robert Heikka’s remains were later recovered.
The car is in a canal along Pioneer Trail where the water level has recently dropped significantly. It hasn’t been determined if it’s occupied. Thanks to Sunshine State Sonar and Recon Dive Recovery for spotting the vehicle and confirming the tag pic.twitter.com/RlTSSp5SQM
— Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) April 8, 2023
“Through hard work and dedication by the many involved, his vehicle was located. Volusia Sheriff’s Office responded with resources and assisted greatly in the recovery after the vehicle was discovered,” the Port Orange Police Department announced on Facebook. “We thank all involved for bringing some much-needed closure to Mr. Heikka’s family. Thank you all. Our prayers and thoughts are with his family.”
Robert Heikka was a teacher with the Volusia County School District since 1989, CBS affiliate WKMG-TV reports. He taught at Creekside Middle School in Port Orange since 2002. And while the tragic ending to this story is a painful one, authorities are pleased to finally provide Heikka’s family with more information that they’ve been sorely lacking for years.
“It just feels so good to give these families answers. I would never say it’s closure, because there is never closure for a family losing someone like this. It’s answers to what happened to their loved one,” said Mike Sullivan of Sunshine State Sonar.
