Did they get them out?

[Gatorjet]

Phil, did they get any of the cars out today? We were in town on a last minute trip, and I drove down to Fall Creek a couple times to see what was going on. Stopped by before we left town. Saw you out there, did you get any pics, or drone videos. What a Chinese Fire Drill!!!

They had pulled two from the pile by the bank, and from what I heard they both broke off, or came unhooked about halfway across the lake.

I watched it happen once.

How do you remove cars waahed into a lake by a flash flood?

Obviously not with two guys on Waverunners, a couple people in a pontoon boat, and a small, standard car towing type wrecker!

 

[Phil Lilley]

I left at 11 am.  They seemed to have given up.

The wrecker company, my understanding, was doing this as a favor to the owner.  And yes, they were not prepared to be on water - at all.  I helped for a while.  I ran out of trolling motor juice so had to go back for a new boat and batteries.  When I got back, they were still trying to get the same boat - in a deep hole.  I looked and couldn't even see it - and I had polaroids on.

They need a diver, a couple of recover boats (or at least boats that have bow trolling motors so they manuever) and a bigger cable... and good connectors.

Funniest thing was all the gals yelling at everyone from the bank in boats trying to get through.  No water patrol.  Couple of DNR guys in one boat.  Several kayakers and guides got stuck above Fall Creek till they were done - John Sappington, Bret Rader and may be Chuck Gries.  Babler bluffed his way through...  they yelled but he just came through.  

Bob- did you say they had pulled a couple of cars out?  Can't believe they would have after I left.  Unless they got the one in the middle, closest to their rig.  That's where I thought they should go first, not the furthest.  They had to drag that one over 2 other cars just to get it out of the hole.

[Phil Lilley]

I re read your post.  The first cable that let go - the loop only had one clamp on it and it pulled loose.  The second, looked like the hook just came out.  The need a diver to get the hook in a good spot.  Or a chain around something solid.

DNR was positioned uplake of the scene... they couldn't see the gas and oil coming out of the cars.  May be they didn't want to see.  The spill wasn't that bad though.  No more than they've already released I'm sure.

[MOPanfisher]

They need a recovery team with experience, not cheap but there is a reason they often have some big ole wreckers or cranes on site.  Where is gravel gerty when you need her.

[Gatorjet]

I was standing up by the last Condo right next to the creek. Looking down on where the pile of three were. Just the pickup left. The red car, and white compact SUV were not there. One of the other people there said that they saw them drag the two off the pile, but they both broke off out in the middle. I think one of them is what they were working on when I was there.

The plan might work with a diver to rig them correctly, and one of those big wreckers they use for 18 Wheelers.

I probably left just before you did. A reporter from  KOLR 10 in Springfield had just showed up. Maybe they will have some kind of report. 

[MOPanfisher]

We had a pick up and 30 foot trailer in the lake last week.  Wrecker that showed up was a monster, looked like it could have easily pulled out an Abrams tank.  Operator commented it's easier to have too.much wrecker than too little.  Also had a diver go down and hook up a chain and tow cable and pulled them out still coupled together.  Of course that was only one vehicle basically and warm water with no current, but it was after midnight and very dark, over an hour from the time the diver went in until it all rolled ashore.  Still won't be easy or cheap to.do it right.

[OldTackleCollector]

Here's a couple of KSPR 33 news clips from today's festivities.

http://www.kspr.com/content/news/Crews-try-again-to-remove-washed-away-cars-from-Lake-Taneycomo-435843253.html

http://www.kspr.com/video/?vid=435850693

Starting early from Pointe Royale this morning in a blue kayak, I hugged the shoreline down through the pea soup fog and glaring herons, to check out the goings-on. After anxiously watching that paint dry for a couple of hours, I paddled back upstream and flung a Little Cleo around for a while. Not a bad morning overall.

[Joenothum]

Looked like in the video Phil was doing all the work!

[Gatorjet]

So did they get any out, or just pulled them out further into the lake? Never saw them doing anything but breaking the strap or pulling it loose.

[Phil Lilley]

No, they hadn't at 11 am.