CONNEAUT — Divers from six fire departments searched a pond off Dorman Road late Sunday morning after the owner of the property discovered a crashed gate and vehicle tire tracks terminating in the 30-foot-deep water.
Sgt. Steve Gerics of the Conneaut Police Department said a stolen vehicle was recovered from about 25 feet of water. The 1994 Buick Century was unoccupied but apparently had been rigged to speed into the pond, which is behind the tourism center and next to Interstate 90.
“It looked like somebody had used the (car owner’s) cane to jam the accelerator and then jumped out,” said Captain John Chapin of the Conneaut Fire Department.
The fire department received the call at 11:20 a.m. Sunday. Based upon the evidence at the scene — tire tracks leading to the pond and no footprints coming out of it — personnel approached it as a rescue. The county’s dive team was assembled with Conneaut Stations Three and One, plus North Kingsville, Saybrook, Orwell, Rome and Andover contributing divers.
Chapin said they started about 150 feet from the entry point and worked toward that point in a “Z” pattern using inflatable boats and divers. The vehicle was located resting on its top about 75 feet from shore.
Divers could not see inside the car but reported the windows intact. The area around the car was searched for bodies, and the vehicle dragged to shore using a hoist on an engine from Station Three.
Personnel checked the car’s interior and trunk for bodies, but did not find any, Chapin said. The cane was found on the front seat, suggesting it had been used in the prank.
Gerics said the police department received at 6 a.m. Sunday a report of the car missing from a Middle Road driveway. Police are investigating the incident but do not have any suspects, he said.
Chapin said there were about 35 dive-team members at the scene, which was cleared at 2 p.m. Sunday.
“It started out as a rescue and turned out to be an exercise,” Chapin said.
He said as a result of the exercise, he knows which department he’d want to call next time to get the most qualified divers, and which ones need to hone their skills.
“It really turned out well,” Chapin added. “I got to see the capabilities of the various dive team members.”
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