UPDATE: Car Into Pond

Recovery efforts ended Thursday night near Maysville Pike where a vehicle drove into a pond.

Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz says it happened around 3:30 Thursday afternoon just across the street from the Maysville Regional Water District building.  The State Highway Patrol’s Zanesville Post Sgt. Jeffrey Jirles said it’s believed the vehicle was travelling west on US 22 when it lost control, went off the side of the road and submerged in the pond.

Rescue boats and dive teams were called to the scene, and it’s now being ruled a recovery effort and not a rescue effort due to the cold air and water.

Throughout the evening, crews used chain saws to cut another hole into the pond in an effort to find the vehicle. Due to unsafe conditions for divers, recovery efforts had to be called off for the night around 7 p.m.

“What our divers are running into under the water is a lot of debris, there’s some left over trees down there. It’s making it very dangerous. And the lake is freezing over as quickly as they are making holes for their safety,” stated Newton Township Fire Chief, Allen Deaver.

No information has been released about the type of vehicle or on the number of passengers in the vehicle. According to Deaver, the recovery mission will resume Friday morning around 9:00 a.m. We’ll have more information as it becomes available.