*A sonar ping led deputies to a stolen pickup truck sitting feet beneath Wolf Lake*, according to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office.

Sonar Detection Sparks Dive Operation

A man reached out to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office after finding the truck while fishing in Almena Township, the news outlet reported.

Officials say the man reported finding the truck 25 feet underwater with his Garmin LiveScope sonar system. A Detective Sergeant coordinated with the Van Buren County Dive Team to investigate and locate the large vehicle.

Six Months Underwater

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office says after finding and retrieving the vehicle, they identified it as a Dodge Ram pickup that was reported stolen out of Kalamazoo County in October 2025.

After being underwater for months, the truck became a home to the local wildlife. Dive Team members took the extra step to safely return the fish and other animals back to the water.

Due to being submerged for approximately six months, the vehicle had become a habitat for aquatic life, the sheriff's office said in a news release. During recovery operations, dive team members took care to safely return fish and other wildlife back into Wolf Lake.

Recovery Operation Details

The Van Buren County Dive Team conducted a dive operation at Wolf Lake, where they found and recovered the Dodge Ram truck. The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff's office.

According to deputies, the truck had been reported stolen out of Kalamazoo County in October 2025. The investigation into the vehicle theft is ongoing.

Community Assistance

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office Drone Team assisted by providing overhead aerial support and safety monitoring for personnel on the water during the recovery operation.

The vehicle was identified as a Dodge Ram pickup that had previously been reported stolen out of Kalamazoo County in October 2025. During the operation, the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office Drone Team assisted by providing overhead aerial support and safety monitoring for personnel on the water.

Tips and Information

For immediate reporting, contact the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office at (269) 657-3101.

Additional reporting is available at Crime Stoppers 1-800-342-7867, Silent Observer (269) 343-2100 or your local Police Department.

Mobile phone users and online users can provide anonymous crime tips to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office by sending a text Tip Soft message by sending a text message to "CRIMES" (274637) with the keyword VBCTIP from a mobile phone.

Ongoing Investigation

The investigation into this incident remains ongoing, according to the sheriff's office.

The vehicle was identified as a Dodge Ram pickup that had previously been reported stolen out of Kalamazoo County in October 2025. The investigation into the vehicle theft is ongoing.

Wolf Lake Recovery

A stolen truck is towed out of Wolf Lake on Thursday, according to local reports. The truck was discovered via a sonar ping from a person's sonar system on Wednesday.

Community Response

Fish and other aquatic life spill out of a truck that was found submerged in Wolf Lake on Thursday. Those fish and other aquatic life have since been safely returned into Wolf Lake, deputies said.

Sources

  • Van Buren County Sheriff's Office News Release - https://vanburencountymi.gov/sheriff-news-release-3
  • WWMT News Channel 3 - https://wwmt.com/news/local/wolf-lake-truck-recovery-stolen-sonar-ping-system-garmin-livescope-investigation-dive-team-kalamazoo-van-buren-county-west-michigan
  • Fox 17 Online - https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/stolen-truck-pulled-from-wolf-lake-found-with-help-from-fishing-sonar-device
  • mlive.com - https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2026/03/fishermans-sonar-finds-stolen-truck-submerged-in-michigan-lake.html