GMC Sierra Goes for an Unintended Swim in Oregon River
Unfortunate Sierra landed in the Rogue River when owner left it in neutral while loading a lawn mower to the back.
You take every precaution necessary to ensure your GMC truck and cargo are secure. Your tie-down straps are good to go, the needed loading equipment is ready to assist, and most important of all, your truck is in Park with the parking brake engaged.
Alas, one GMC Sierra owner did not have their truck in Park, leading to an unintended swim in an Oregon river. Medford, Oregon ABC affiliate KDRV-TV reports the Sierra is now somewhere in the Rogue River.
“There is a black GMC Sierra that’s in the river,” said Jackson County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue Marine Division deputy Ian Lance. “There is nobody in it, so don’t panic, but we are asking for folks to let us know if they happen to spot it.”
The Sierra’s owner had left the truck in Neutral while loading a lawn mower into the bed. The loading technique knocked the truck and its cargo into the Rogue River in the town of Shady Cove. But that’s only the start of the disaster for the Sierra.
“The Rogue River is extremely high right now,” said Lance. “That means there’s enough water in the river that the truck could go a long ways. So it will do what it will do, until it shows back up.”
And there’s more water to come, thanks to plenty of rainfall on April 7 and 8. Thus, this Sierra’s journey is going to be rough before it is found. In fact, the sheriff’s department had to use 3D sonar to try to find the truck, spending an hour to no avail before heading back ashore.
The accident will also leave the owner with hefty fines, as that part of the Rogue is a major habitat for salmon. Along with the damage to the environment already caused by the various petrochemicals in the Sierra and the lawn mower, the recovery operation will only add more to the bill. Not to mention that the owner will need a new truck.
“It is going to be very, very destroyed wherever it is,” Lance said.
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