Vehicle pulled from Waughs River near Tatamagouche, N.S.
How do you fish a submerged Honda Civic out of a river? Well, it starts with a magnet, a kayak and a decent dose of small-town resourcefulness.
That was the scenario Wednesday evening near Tatamagouche, N.S., after the vehicle, which had been parked near Waughs River by a group of paddleboarders, rolled into the water and was drifting out on the tide before sinking.
No one was inside the car, and there were no injuries, but Tatamagouche Fire Department Chief Mark Langille said there was an environmental concern, given the area is known for its fish habitat. He also worried the Civic could pose a hazard to small boats.
With the location marked, a recreational diver who is also a member of the nearby River John fire department arrived. He was able to dive down and secure a line to the vehicle so a tow truck could pull it out, according to Langille.
“That’s the amazing thing about a small town,” Langille said. “I mean, you just start making phone calls and things happen very, very quickly.”
Kevin Wall, the owner of North Shore Towing, said there were no reports of anything spilling from the vehicle, so “the quicker we got it out of there the better.”
Langille said the vehicle had a manual transmission. The emergency brake was on, but he said it’s not clear if it had been set incorrectly or if there was a mechanical problem. He said there is no chance the car is now driveable.
The tow truck arrived at the scene within minutes of being called, he said, and divers from River John were there within a half-hour. All told, he estimates it took about an hour and a half from start to finish to get the Civic out of the water.
With files from Frances Willick