By Abigail W. Adams
The 2002 Dodge Ram that sat at the bottom of Damariscotta Lake since February was removed June 29. (Photo courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife) |
The 2002 silver Dodge Ram that spent its winter at the bottom of Damariscotta Lake was removed June 29, Game Warden Joey Lefebvre said. The truck’s owner, Norman Palmer, hired a diver recommended by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to remove the truck.
The diver attached airbags to the truck and floated it approximately 3/4 of a mile to the Vannah Road landing in Nobleboro where it was removed.
Palmer was summonsed for exceeding the “ice out” deadline, but the penalty is only a nominal fine and the department is recommending it be dropped because the truck was removed, Lefebvre said.
Palmer was also summonsed for operating after suspension. According to Lefebvre, Palmer drove to meet him the day the truck was removed, however, his license was suspended at the time.
Palmer’s truck fell through the ice on Damariscotta Lake in early February. Palmer and Lefebvre had been in contact since about the truck’s removal.
According to Maine statute regarding submerged vehicles, snowmobiles, and watercraft in state waters, the owner is responsible for removing a submerged vehicle within 30 days of its submersion or 30 days after “ice out.”
Damariscotta Lake’s “ice out” was April 19, according to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.
The cost of hiring a diver can exceed $2,000, Lefebvre said. Palmer was responsible for the cost of the truck’s removal, he said.
