A waterlogged, late-model Chevy pickup truck came out of a two-day bath in the cool, rain runoff-clouded Wailua River Saturday afternoon. Why the truck lay about four feet underwater off the kayak dock at the Wailua Marina remains a mystery.
A waterlogged, late-model Chevy pickup truck came out of a two-day bath in the cool, rain runoff-clouded Wailua River Saturday afternoon.
Why the truck lay about four feet underwater off the kayak dock at the Wailua Marina remains a mystery.
At the scene a spectator said a river boat hit the truck setting off the recovery effort.
About 75 spectators and the Kaua‘i Fire Department rescue truck crew, Kaua‘i Police Department patrol cars and employees from businesses at the Wailua Marina all turned out for the watery rescue of the truck that took place around 4 p.m.
A tow truck from Rob’s Towing, its front wheels rising from the pavement due to the weight of the oversize pickup, managed to lift the soaked truck above the surface.
This enabled Kaua‘i Fire Department divers to break in its windows to make sure no one had been trapped inside.
Once the divers gave the all-clear signal the recovery work continued.
The unusual riverside episode added to the entertainment already underway aboard a Smith’s Boats riverboat full of visitors on the way back from the Fern Grotto. The emcee aboard the riverboat didn’t miss a beat in his narration, incuding mention of the truck which could be heard across the river at the Wailua Marina.
Official word on how and why the pickup trucked ended up at the bottom of the Wailua River is yet to come.
