Tulsa Firefighters Work To Get Stolen Car In The Arkansas River To Shore

Police are investigating after finding a stolen car in Arkansas River near 21st Street Bridge Friday morning.

Tulsa firefighters got the call concerning a possible water rescue just before 7:30 a.m. near the west bank of the river. A driver called police saying there was a car in the water about 500 feet from 23rd Street bridge.

Firefighters took two boats out to the car for a rescue, but found no one inside.

"We got one of our boats in and attempted to rescue somebody and then later found out there was nobody in the vehicle," said Logan McCormick with the Tulsa Fire Department.

They then ran the tags and learned the car was stolen from the Sapulpa area around 5:00 Friday morning.

"A lot of times, when vehicles are stolen they will stash them somewhere, dumping them in the river is new for me," said Dallas Owens with Tulsa Police.

Firefighters put airbags in the car and brought it to the top of the water.

“This is not something we normally train for. This is just something totally different; usually, the low-pressure airbags are for a vehicle upside down, or something like that, we try to lift it off of a victim or a patient on the side of the road. You know, if a car is on top of somebody, just a good way to lift a vehicle,” said Logan McCormick with the Tulsa Fire Department.

That didn't get the car all the way to the shore, so they brought in boom trucks and searched the vehicle before taking it away from the scene.

The owner of the vehicle has been notified, but since that car was found underwater, it may be more difficult to locate the thief.