Sheriff’s deputies and a scuba diver took more than three hours late Sunday afternoon and early evening to remove a stolen vehicle from the Gasconade River near Riddle Bridge.
Riddle Bridge is located at the intersection of Cave Road and Highway Y, about halfway between Dixon and St. Robert, and has a conservation department boat access ramp.
According to sheriff’s logs, a caller notified deputies shortly before 4 p.m. that a Chevy Blazer was sunk on the bottom of the Gasconade about 10 to 15 feet off the bank and 25 feet upstream from the boat ramp.
Deputies arrived at 4:10 p.m., checked the license plates, and determined that the vehicle was owned by Waynesville Memorial Chapel and had been stolen in March from Crocker.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department no longer owns a boat and called the 911 Center at 4:12 p.m. to obtain a boat and a scuba driver. The needed personnel and equipment arrived at 5:05 p.m., according to sheriff’s logs, and Jack’s Towing was able to remove the vehicle by 7:10 p.m.
In a prepared statement, Sheriff J.B. King said the case has been turned over to the Crocker Police Department since it appears the theft took place within their jurisdiction.