Car pulled from Lake Sugema

KEOSAUQUA - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources pulled a car out of Lake Sugema July 10, after being notified by a fisherman of the likelihood a vehicle was submerged near the north boat dock.

However, its owner and how it got there remain a mystery, according to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office. There was no body in the vehicle and all of the windows were down on the car, a Cavalier.

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office said it received a report 'from a local fisherman” in August 2018, that the car was there and 'had been for a couple of years. We notified DNR officer Chris Flynn.”

According to Jeff Glaw, wildlife biologist, Bruce Strunk of Farmington notified authorities when a locator on his boat kept indicating that something like an automobile was just off the north boat dock.

Glaw said he just found out about it recently and immediately contacted Mark Flammang, a DNR fisheries biologist, who is a scuba diver. Earlier this month, Flammang brought his boat, equipment and scuba gear to see if he could determine that there was a vehicle and, if so, put straps on it to pull it out.

Flammang is a veteran at water rescue. He has made hundreds of dives for the Iowa DNR and also privately over the years. Flammang piloted his boat and looked at his sonar equipment and was convinced, like Strunk, that there was a vehicle submerged. He threw out buoys to mark the spot and then put his diving gear on to take a look, or more appropriately, a touch.

There was no visibility, especially that deep, so he had to go by feel. The vehicle was in about 12 feet of water. Flammang determined that the car's wheels would be great to place straps on, and then climbed on top of the car to show exactly how deep the water was. Even standing on the car's top, all but Flammang's shoulders and head were below the water's surface.

Flammang put straps, log chains and cables on the vehicle, which was no easy task. Try dragging strap tied to a heavy log chain into 12 feet of water with no visibility and you quickly understand.

After everything was secure, it was up to the driver of a tractor to pull the car out of the water.

After the car was recovered, it became an investigative matter for the Van Buren Sheriff's Office, which had personnel on the scene assisting.

The license plate was visible. It was a blue plate with 1986 in the upper right hand corner. The number was: SHR 035. Even though the license plate was intact, it is no easy matter tracking down the owner with the plate. The sheriff's office ran the plates through the state's system and nothing came up. Then the sheriff's office checked the VIN. It was unreadable, the sheriff's office reported.

'We do not know yet if it is stolen or who it belonged to,” the sheriff's office stated.

The Van Buren County Register contacted the treasurer's office, who said it would take a lot of time finding the owner of plates that old. They are filed in alphabetical order by the name of the owner, not the plate number. The blue plates were replaced in the mid 1990s, so it is very possible that the car was submerged shortly after the lake was impounded in 1992.

A photo of the Cavalier was shown to Brian Starnes, owner of Fesler Auto Mall in Fairfield. He said that it was either a 1985 or 1986 model. There was what appeared to be a CB radio in the front console and small holes in the trunk.

Glaw said it is believed to be the first vehicle pulled from Lake Sugema.

If you have any information, please contact the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office at 319-293-3426.