A search for a stolen Mazda in the Fraser River in Coquitlam resulted in the finding of three additional submerged vehicles, including a school bus.
The RCMP observed a stolen car entering the Fraser River at Maquabeak Park in Coquitlam shortly after midnight on April 6. When officers arrived, they found the car completely underwater near the boat launch, with its headlights and taillights still on.
Two Mounties entered the river near the boat launch to check for occupants, but were unable to reach the submerged 2004 Mazda. The wet and cold officers were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
By daylight, RCMP divers located the vehicle. Due to challenging conditions and its positioning, they could only confirm that no one was in the driver’s seat during an initial visual search, according to the police.
Divers also came across three other submerged vehicles nearby, including a school bus, according to Coquitlam RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Alexa Hodgins. She mentioned, “The other vehicles seem to have been at this location for quite some time.”
One of them, a 2000 black Honda Civic stolen in 2010, has been retrieved from the water. The fourth vehicle has not been identified.
Coquitlam, B.C.: RCMP divers have discovered three additional vehicles in the Fraser River in Coquitlam while searching for a vehicle that went into the water on April 6, 2024.
Due to potential environmental concerns, the Environment Ministry will now oversee the recovery of the other vehicles, and divers from the Canadian Coast Guard will be responsible for locating the vehicle that entered the water on April 6 and assessing the other vehicles.
Local RCMP will collaborate with ICBC, the City of Coquitlam, towing companies, and federal and provincial partners as part of the investigation, according to the police.
Coquitlam RCMP will handle any criminal inquiries related to the recoveries, stated Hodgins. She said, “A thorough inspection of the vehicles will take place once they are retrieved from the river.”
To provide information about any of the submerged vehicles in the Fraser, individuals are urged to contact Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550.
