Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, the NPSO Dive Team, and Archie’s Towing Service were dispatched by the NATCOM 911 Center to reports of a submerged vehicle in Cane River on Nov. 28 around 6 pm near the 3500 block of Hw. 494 south of Melrose, according to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies arrived on scene and spoke with the caller, who reported that while sitting in his 2010 Chevrolet pickup in a private driveway, the truck began experiencing mechanical issues. He advised that he placed the truck in park and pressed the accelerator to adjust the idle. Moments later, he shifted the vehicle into reverse, at which time the truck suddenly accelerated backward, crossed Hwy. 484, traveled down an embankment, and crashed through a pier landing before entering Cane River, where it became fully submerged.

The driver safely exited the truck before it went under and swam to shore.

Divers assessed the scene with the owner and nearby residents, who estimated the water depth in the area at approximately 20–25 feet. Beneath the surface, conditions were extremely dark with zero visibility, creating hazardous circumstances for divers.  Due to these conditions, and because the vehicle was unoccupied, Deputy Doug Rachal, Commander of the NPSO Dive Team, suspended recovery operations for the night.

Dive Team members, Patrol Operations Bureau deputies, personnel from the Natchitoches Office of Emergency Preparedness, and the towing service returned to the scene on Nov. 29 around 8 am. Through a coordinated effort, divers successfully located the vehicle beneath the surface and secured recovery cables, allowing the towing service to extract the vehicle from the river.

Responding personnel this morning included:
Deputy Doug Rachal Jr., Dive Team Commander
Lt. Jared Kilpatrick
Sgt. Cody Olliff
Deputy Lamarr McGaskey, Natchitoches Office of Emergency Preparedness
Deputy Joseph Bonner, Patrol Operations