UPDATE — The Rock County Sheriff on Thursday said they had identified the vehicle pulled from the Rock River near Janesville, and that it had been reported stolen in 1993. READ MORE.
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JANESVILLE — Authorities are trying to figure out how a vehicle ended up on the bottom of the Rock River near Janesville and how it got there.
The Rock County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday said a citizen came to them Monday to report what they had discovered a sunken vehicle in the Rock River near Riverside Park in Janesville.
The person provided an exact location and images from a side-scan sonar.
The Sheriff’s Office sent out a boat and confirmed the location and obtained additional side-scan images.
Then on Wednesday, The Rock County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team deployed into the river and were able to locate the vehicle in approximately 12 feet of water.
Divers were able to connect tow straps and were assisted by Davis Towing in removing the vehicle from the river bottom.
The Janesville Fire Department and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also assisted during the investigation.
The origin of the vehicle is currently unknown and is under further investigation, according to a news release.