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Crews believe submerged vehicle in river found

Posted at 4:33 PM, Mar 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-05 16:36:39-05

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Crews searching for a vehicle in the water near where the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo rivers converge say they believe they’ve located the vehicle, but cannot immediately remove it.

The Allegan, Calhoun and Van Buren County dive teams, Emmett and Bedford Township fire departments and Battle Creek Police Department assisted in the continued search on Sunday following the initial search of more than 12 hours on Saturday.

On Sunday, a team used a dive magnet to search for the vehicle in a 15- to 20-foot-deep hole near the rivers’ convergence. The magnet struck what crews suspect is the vehicle.

The location has been marked with a buoy. Work will begin on Monday to determine how best to remove the vehicle from the river, without using divers.

A bumper identifying the vehicle as a Hyundai SUV was found near the convergence, according to crews.

The vehicle is believed to have entered the river around 4:30 a.m. Saturday on Dickman Road, east of Capital Avenue. Authorities say video footage showed a vehicle floating backward from there.

Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office divers, who searched the area Saturday, said it was unsafe to dive Sunday in the area due to a current estimated at more than 10 mph.

It is not yet clear how many people were inside the vehicle when it went into the river.

It is expected that this will be a recovery effort.