A security camera in the United Kingdom has caught a van driver accidentally punting a Porsche 356 replica into Regent’s Canal.
Posted on Twitter, the footage shows the van driver slowly backing up and then rapidly accelerating in reserve. Within seconds, the van hits the Porsche and sends the car flying into the water.
According to the Daily Mail, the car was a 2004 Chesil 356 Speedster which was worth approximately $39,339 (£30,000 / €34,134). The car was owned by the nearby AutoVero ealership and it appears to be in relatively good condition despite the fact that it was temporarily turned into a boat.
OK, here it is. Enjoy!
Video via our on-site coffee shop, Pedlar. (https://t.co/LFdxsxLEjs) pic.twitter.com/ZcnIFYGj6m
— Unbound (@unbounders) October 4, 2018
The accident reportedly happened on Wednesday at around noon local time. As AutoVero’s owner Wenlock Basin explained, “I was with a mechanic dealing with a Ferrari and I heard a smashing noise, then I was looking around and it was the canal.”
Thankfully the car didn’t sink, but this made recovery efforts a bit challenging. Photos show that a flatbed tow truck was called to the scene and its driver’s extended and lowered the ramp to get access to the rear of the replica. He then attached a cable to the car and towed the model closer to the edge of the canal. After awhile, the car was eventually retrieved from the water and put back on dry land.
AutoVero is now in the process of filing an insurance claim on the car and Basin believes it will be a total loss. That’s unfortunate, but Basin said the situation “could have been much worse” as the Ford Transit narrowly missed hitting a Mercedes as well.
Meanwhile, on the canal by Unbound HQ… pic.twitter.com/F3Qb6PjRXq
— Unbound (@unbounders) October 3, 2018
View from other side of the canal. Pic credit @robtelford pic.twitter.com/3ntxBaNNc7
— Ricky Boleto (@rickyboleto) October 3, 2018
Turns out this was a replica #Porsche worth around £30,000. It’s now coming out the canal. pic.twitter.com/UVnZmWjDTM
— Ricky Boleto (@rickyboleto) October 3, 2018
Update: the car is out of the canal and looks very forlorn. pic.twitter.com/bDXpwhEW26
— Unbound (@unbounders) October 4, 2018