1 body found in missing Port Orange teacher’s car, Volusia County deputies say

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office found a car that belonged to a missing Port Orange man on Saturday.

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10:30 p.m. Update:

The Sunshine State Sonar Team and other volunteer search teams dove into the water and saw the license plate tag matched that of missing Port Orange teacher Robert Heikka.

Heikka had been missing for over three years, and Port Orange police said he had withdrawn a small amount of money and was not seen again.

The search and recovery teams were called out to the Orlando area when they spotted Heikka’s car.

The teams reached out to Port Orange police, who then contacted the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

See more in the video above.

8 p.m. Update:

Volusia County deputies have removed the car from the water and discovered one dead person inside.

They have not identified if the body was Heikka, but Port Orange police have been notified.

7 p.m. Update:

Volusia deputies said that they do not know if the car is occupied, and the car is in a canal along Pioneer Trail in the New Smyrna area.

Original report:

Deputies said they discovered teacher Robert Heikka’s car in a body of water in the area of 4290 Pioneer Trail.

The VCSO Dive Team is working to pull the vehicle out of the water, but since the water levels had risen, search teams were able to see the car in the water.

Read: Port Orange police searching for teacher last seen in October

Heikka was last seen on Oct. 25, 2020, at his home in Port Orange. Port Orange police have been unable to find Heikka or have any updates on the case.

Channel 9 has a crew heading to the scene and is working to gather more information.

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