Billings businesses team up to recover vehicle in Yellowstone thermal feature

Hanser's Automotive and the U.S. Water Rescue dive team worked together with Yellowstone National Park to recover the vehicle that was fully submerged in the Semi-Centennial Geyser .

It was an unusual and memorable assignment for both agencies.

Hanser's

“I would say even from our standpoint, that's pretty unique. I don't think we've ever dealt with a geyser before,” Shel Hanser, co-owner of Hanser's Automotive, said on Wednesday. "It's you know, mobilizing the specialty equipment, the straps and all the rigging that go along with that.”

Hanser's

According to park officials, the vehicle, with five occupants, "inadvertently drove off the roadway" Thursday morning. All occupants exited the vehicle and had non-life-threatening injuries.

The thermal feature has acidic water that reaches temperatures of 105 degrees Fahrenheit, so recovering the vehicle had to be done cautiously.

Hanser's

“This is the first time we’ve experienced an operation like this in a geyser,” Shane Weinreis with the U.S. Water Rescue team said. “Normally, especially in Montana, we're dealing with cold water."

Both teams were able to work together to safely get the vehicle out of the geyser.