BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — The search resumed Thursday morning for a car believed to be in the Kalamazoo River.
According to the city of Battle Creek, plans call for the Michigan Wing of the Civil Air Patrol to fly over the area today, searching on the Kalamazoo River west of the confluence with the Battle Creek River in the city.
The search was suspended Wednesday due to high winds experienced throughout the state.
The vehicle — a Hyundai sedan — is believed to have crashed into the water Saturday morning. On Thursday, the Civil Air Patrol plans to cover the Kalamazoo River as far west as possible because emergency officials believe the vehicle could have traveled for miles in the swift current.
During the last searches, performed on Tuesday, three boats spent about four hours on the Kalamazoo River, from the convergence with the Battle Creek River to the Custer Drive bridge, the furthest the boats could pass.
Tuesday marked the fourth day crews from Battle Creek and surrounding townships and counties worked together to try and locate what is believed to be a Hyundai sedan that crashed into the river early Saturday morning off Dickman Road east of Capital Avenue.
Crews then decided to suspend the search by boat, waiting for river current conditions to improve before sending divers into a deep area at the rivers’ confluence where the vehicle could have become stuck. Due to conditions, use of dive cameras have not been able to confirm whether it is there.
Using Emmett Township’s rescue boat, Kalamazoo County provided sonar technology used to scan close to five miles of the river on Tuesday.
Anybody who sees something unusual in or around the river is being asked to contact Battle Creek Police at (269) 966-3322 or Silent Observer at (269) 964-3888.
