In the Midwest, it is common for people to drive 4x4 trucks. These trucks come in handy for moving, hauling, and getting out of tight spots. Trucks also pull ice shanties out onto the ice during ice fishing season. Unfortunately that is the time of year when it is most common to lose a 4x4 truck in a lake when the weight of the truck breaks through the ice and drops the truck under water. If you lose a truck to broken ice over a lake, here is how you can recover it.

Make Sure You Are Out of the Truck and Out of the Water

Hypothermia in the water begins within minutes of entering the water. Ergo, if you are in the truck when it begins to fall through the ice, you will need to get out of the truck and out of the water as fast as you can. If you are standing on the ice near the truck when it goes under, get to shore as fast as you can. If you can make it to shore, you will need to call the Coast Guard and the police. 

Call the Coast Guard and the Police

The Coast Guard will come out and try to rescue the truck before it goes all the way under (sometimes the truck only goes part way through the ice). The police need to be notified of what has happened so that you are not fined for leaving a truck sink into a lake and not trying to retrieve it. You may need to hire a dive team as well to wrap winch hooks around parts of the truck under water. Power winches on tow trucks will work to pull the truck up and out of the water. 

Haul the Truck to an Auto Service Station

A vehicle that has been flooded by falling through ice into a lake will suffer a lot of water damage. The engine may be flooded with lake water, making it impossible for the truck to start. It will short out and stall if you attempt to start the engine of a flooded truck. When you send it to the service shop, the shop can drain out all of the water, dry things out, flush things with vehicle fluids, refill the necessary fluids, replace the battery, replace the interior upholstery, and then the car is ready to drive again. 

For more information, reach out to a 4x4 recovery service.

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