Man catches more than fish at Cheney Lake, fire department helps reel in a big one
SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) -- A man fishing for crappie at Cheney Lake on Memorial Day found more than he bargained for. He found a Jeep more than 16 feet below the surface.
John Mounce calls himself a big-time crappie fisherman. He has all the newest, high-tech sonar gear, including a live scope.
On Monday, he was about 130 feet from the dam when he saw something on one of his monitors. He dropped down his live scope to get a better look.
Mounce said it was obvious to him that it was a Jeep.
He also noticed a couple of crappie on the hood of the vehicle. So, he caught the fish first, then packed up and called the authorities about the Jeep.
Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office deputies met Mounce at his house. He showed them his video and detailed pictures from the scope. They said it was definitely a Jeep and began making arrangements to haul it out of the lake.
Mounce gave them the coordinates, and authorities set out to find the Jeep. But divers with the Sedgwick County Fire Department had trouble finding it in the dark and muddy water.
So Mounce said they called him and asked him to return to the lake to help, so he did. But by the time he arrived, one of the divers found the vehicle.
Mounce watched as crews hooked onto the vehicle and pulled it from the lake.
He said it is in bad shape. The front seats are still attached but were hanging over the side.
Mounce said a woman reached out to him about the vehicle. Her Jeep disappeared in 2007 or 2008, and she wondered if it was hers. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office is still trying to determine where the vehicle came from.
A Sheriff's Office spokesperson said deputies could not find the vehicle identification number, but they think it appears to be an 80s model Jeep.
Cheney Lake Party Cove is a Facebook page that supports the lake. It posted about Mounce's discovery.
"John Mounce was fishing along the dam today and caught himself a Jeep," it said.
Both Cheney Lake Party Cove and John Mounce are getting a lot of funny comments about the find on their Facebook pages.