Ice Water Vehicle Recoveries Can Prove Costly

ST. CLOUD -- Authorities are reminding anglers to be extra careful when driving out onto the ice, especially in light of vehicles going through the ice recently and two deaths in Morrison County Sunday.

Even if you escape the icy waters, there is the potential cost of recovering your vehicle.  State law says it is your responsibility to have the vehicle recovered, and it doesn't come cheap.

Joe Kampa owns Andy's Towing in St. Cloud. He says depending on the situation, divers may have to be called in to get at the vehicle...

If the vehicle is completely submerged, obviously divers have to go down to hook it up.  If it's not and there's a reasonable amount of ice right around the vehicle, and you can approach them and get to them, you can hook them up without actually using a diver.  We use wetsuits and drysuits to be able to go out there.  If you don't have to submerge then you don't have to use a certified diver.

Kampa says you may want to check with your insurance agent to see if your policy pays for a recovery which can run into thousands of dollars. Kampa says just getting the equipment and crews to the scene starts at about $1,000. He says they've had recoveries as high as $8,000-$9,000 but he has heard of recoveries costing $20,000.

Minnesota law says you must also notify law enforcement within 48 hours of the vehicle entering the water and then you have 30 days to get it out.