ICBC working on removing truck from Swan Lake

NEAR VERNON – It’s a reminder of a drive gone wrong. A truck is now frozen into Swan Lake after it broke through the ice a few days ago. While no one was hurt, some see the truck as an environmental hazard. However, extracting the vehicle may not be easy.

For the local regional district director it can’t come out soon enough.

“I assume there is gas in the vehicle and that it has other hydrocarbons there that are not going to be good for the lake if they start escaping,” says Electoral Area B director Bob Fleming.

Fleming is concerned about protecting the lake itself, which he says is an important feeding ground for migratory birds.

“I’d like to protect the lake. I don’t think having a vehicle in there is contusive to doing that,” he says.

ICBC says it has contacted a towing company about removing the truck. However, it’s categorized the removal as complex and believes divers may be needed. ICBC says it is currently working on a removal plan, and taking into consideration the environment and safety. However, it has no timeline as to when the truck will be removed.

As for how the truck ended up in this half submerged in the lake, there are a number of different stories. However, the RCMP say the driver simply thought the ice was strong enough to hold the vehicle.

“There was a gentleman a few days ago that had thought that the ice was thick enough to drive on,” says Cst. Jocelyn Noseworthy of the Vernon RCMP. “The vehicle went through the ice and unfortunately sunk.”