UPDATED: Vehicle Found Submerged in Mississippi River by Boater in Fridley, Minnesota
Provided by John Dahl
Updated - 8:30 AM on May 7th.
FRIDLEY, MINNESOTA— Fridley Police were dispatched to the 7800 block of Riverview Terrace NE in Fridley, Minnesota, following a report from a boater on the river of a submerged vehicle in the Mississippi River. The incident occurred at approximately 1:50 PM on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
Upon arrival, with the assistance of Anoka County and Hennepin County Water Patrol units, law enforcement located the submerged vehicle. However, according to officials from the Fridley Police Department, the operation was significantly hampered by the strong current and poor water clarity, which rendered only a preliminary search feasible. The initial search results were inconclusive, and it was assumed the vehicle had likely been submerged in the river for several days. Despite concerted efforts on both sides of the river, spanning Anoka and Hennepin counties, details regarding the timing, location, and manner in which the vehicle entered the river remain unknown.
John Dahl, the boater and fisherman who found the vehicle, contacted us and provided additional information on this incident. According to Dahl, he was scouting possible fishing spots on the Mississippi River for the fishing opener this coming weekend. While spotting, he says he found “an odd riffle in a spot that didn’t make much sense because the river water level was up 5 feet from normal.” When he approached the spot, he said it looked like a car in about 8 feet of water. At first, he was unsure if it was a vehicle, dock, or something else, but he determined it was a vehicle when he saw the tail light on the back tailgate as he anchored next to it. He then called the Fridley Police to report the incident and then met with law enforcement to give his statement.
Dahl said the incident was “surreal and a little scary; he just hoped no one was in the car.” He said the Fridley Police and Fire Department responded quickly to the incident and were very professional while working the scene. According to Dahl, he was in the same spot about a month ago, and the car was not there. He stated it would have been visible if it was because the water was lower then. Over the last four days, the water level has risen about 3-4 feet, so someone should have seen it before then if it were there. He assumes that the car was ramped off River View Road just upriver or the Brooklyn Park boat ramp.
Provided by John Dahl
Kevin Titus, Lieutenant of Investigations for the City of Fridley Public Safety Department, says this remains an ongoing investigation. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office has taken the lead in investigating this case. Due to the current and water levels, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office was not sure when they would be able to recover the vehicle. We will continue to provide updates on this story as they are made available!
Rough look of where the car was found in the Mississippi River in Fridley, MN. Provided by Google Maps
Written by: Will Wight
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