South Metro Submerged Vehicle

Photo courtesy of South Metro Fire Rescue

Just before 17:00 on July 18th, 2020 South Metro Fire Rescue responded to the north boat ramp at Chatfield State Park for a vehicle recovery. Crews arrived and found no one was injured or trapped when a truck, trailer and jet ski rolled down the ramp and under the water. Divers connected tow straps and cables and a heavy wrecker was used to safely pull the vehicle out.were dispatched to a submerged vehicle at the Chatfield State Park north boat ramp. Engine 19 arrived to the scene and confirmed that the driver had safely escaped the water without injuries, as did one of his dogs. Another dog did not make it out of the vehicle so the Dive Team sprung into action. Within minutes a rescue diver accessed the vehicle and pulled the dog out. Firefighters on the shore swiftly began CPR; one of the Paramedics is specially trained in canine advanced life support and led the resuscitation efforts. Sadly after 30 minutes of intensive medical care the dog was unable to be revived. The operation transitioned to a recovery and divers used heavy-duty straps to attach a tow cable, then the vehicle and boat trailer were removed from the water. Additional information was provided by South Metro Fire Rescue

Units on Scene: Battalion Chief 1, Engine 19, Dive 16 & Medic 16