Sidewalk Collapses, Swallowing Man
Man Falls 15 Feet
POSTED: 8:28 am EDT April 23, 2004
CHARDON, Ohio -- The concrete walkway outside a Geauga County hotdog shop collapsed as a deliveryman was leaving the eatery Thursday, sending him tumbling about 15 feet into an underground void.
Mike Koszewski, owner of Mike's Wienery in Chardon Township, was at the door when the concrete cracked and crumbled. He said the hole just swallowed the man up.
The ice cream deliveryman, Neil Cowen, 42, of Newark, suffered a shattered left leg in the fall.
It appeared that rusted steel supports underneath the walk gave way.
It took Chardon firefighters and paramedics almost 30 minutes to lift Cowen out of the hole.
A medical helicopter then took Cowen to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where he was listed in good condition.
That was really weird! I never thought I'd hear of something like this!

