LOOGOOTEE, Ind. — A pickup truck became fully submerged in West Boggs Lake on Sunday morning after rolling off a public boat ramp in Martin County.
Emergency personnel responded around 11:40 a.m. to the boat ramp located near Boggs West Circle inside West Boggs Park. Upon arrival, first responders discovered a Ford F-150 with an attached trailer beneath the surface of the water.
Preliminary reports indicate the truck slid down the ramp and into the lake while the driver was handling a boat and trailer setup.
All occupants inside the vehicle managed to exit safely before rescue crews arrived on the scene. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported among the passengers or bystanders in the park.
Park visitors and nearby boaters watched as emergency responders secured the area and prepared for salvage efforts. Multiple local agencies coordinated to mark the submerged truck and prevent navigation hazards for incoming lake traffic.
Specialized tow services and recovery units were called to hook the submerged vehicle and winch it out of the water alongside its trailer. Officials briefly restricted access to the boat ramp while crews completed the extraction, allowing traffic to resume once the ramp was cleared of debris and standing hazards.
The exact mechanical or operational circumstances that caused the pickup to enter the water remain under review by local park officials. Authorities frequently advise motorists launching or loading vessels to engage emergency brakes, use wheel chocks, and inspect ramp slope conditions to avoid vehicle slide-offs.
West Boggs Park, situated north of Loogootee along U.S. Route 231, encompasses more than 1,500 acres of recreational land surrounding a 622-acre lake popular for boating, fishing and camping. Ramp operations returned to normal following the vehicle’s recovery.
