‘Ottawa’ Van Swallowed by Sinkhole Gone For Good, Owner Says
Friends of Ottawa locksmith Michel Kiwan are wondering if he should now be in the excavation business after the giant Rideau Street sinkhole swallowed his company’s van Wednesday.
And it doesn’t appear the sinkhole plans on giving back the Dodge Caravan anytime soon.
“They couldn’t find it,” said Kiwan of his now long-lost minivan. “They buried it in concrete.”
Kiwan said the van was loaded with cutting machines, drills and all the tools and equipment needed for servicing locks and safes before it became an Internet sensation when video of it disappearing off the street and splashing into the hole made its way onto social media and newscasts.
The owner of First Choice Locksmith on Wellington Street West said he received some of the first pictures taken of the sinkhole from employee Paul Charette, who had left the van in the loading zone at about 9 a.m. while he serviced a safe inside the Rideau Centre.