The Indiana Conservation Officers scuba team has recovered two All-Terrain Vehicles from Heritage Lake in Putnam County.
The two ATVs were being operated on the frozen lake in close proximity to each other on Feb. 2, when they went through the ice. One ATV driver drowned. The other ATV driver escaped.
Indiana Conservation Officer scuba divers, along with Indianapolis Fire Department and Pike Township scuba divers recovered the victim’s body on Feb. 2.
The drowning victim’s ATV was recovered Feb. 12. The other ATV was recovered March 21.
Side imaging sonar was used to locate both ATVs in the 35-foot-deep water. Divers attached commercial lift bags to the machines to raise them to the surface to be towed to shore. Adam’s Towing Service of Bainbridge removed the ATVs from the water.
A lift bag is an airtight bag made from high-strength synthetic base fabrics that have been coated with urethane. The lift bags are equipped with connecting straps that can be attached to heavy objects then filled with air for buoyancy to bring the object to the surface. Once at the surface, the heavy object can be towed by a boat to a suitable location for removal.
The Indiana Conservation Officers public safety scuba team divers are trained to perform numerous underwater tasks such as evidence recovery, vehicle recovery, body recovery, and various other investigations and operations for the DNR throughout the state.
