Floating a VW

[Indy Matt]

Topic Originally Created in March of 2011:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contacted by Local Law Enforcement and Fire Department for our Underwater Recovery Team to respond to a Vehicle submerged in a Retention Pond. Responded with Supervisor Unit with Dive Trailer in Tow with one Diver and Tender to get eyes on the scene. Found a VW aprox. 75 feet from shore submerged to the roof in 6 feet of water. Two other Divers and Tenders arrived on scene. Met with PD & FD personell as well as Land owner who did not want the vehicle dragged out because of damage to lawn and guide wires to the water fountains that float. PD and FD did not have any Divers on scene yet so we geared up and completed a vehicle and 30 foot perimeter search to make sure there were no victims. Vehicle had sunk to Wheel depth in the sediment on the bottom. Decided to use 4- 1000 pound underwater pillow bags run necessary Air Supply lines to Bags strapped to wheels to achive bouyancy and pull vehicle to a little drainage area where we set up a Century 60 Ton Rotator to lift vehicle and rotate and place on Flatbed for Transport to our Location for storage.

Maybe this can get me in to Scooby's Air Cushion Society!!! LOL
Thanks For Looking.

 

Jeff98970 said:

Nice job Matt, I like the attachments.

 

scooby said:

I was examining the attachments also.

A detour from traditional lifts in the way bags are attached.  This methods looks to, if inflated correctly to even it out, can actually lift the top of the car out of the water more to make rigging the wrecker more convenient
  

 

SITTOW said:

You get all the fun jobs up in the city,good job.

   

 

Niemans Towing said:

Nice job

 

Indy Matt said:

This was fairly shallow and really just needed the Lift to have the vehicle clear the Guide wires also made it very easy to move the vehicle around being that bouyant. Thanks for the comments and I will be sure to pass them on to the entire Team that was on scene. I thought this would be a little bit of a different post with bags.

Thanks,
Matt

 

LASVEGASTATOR60 said:

Looks like a great job Matt!!!  Piece of cake for the O'Hare team.

 

ILTowman said:

First Rate job. very impressive