Sunken cars common in the Allegheny River, authorities say after Springdale discovery

Most underwater discoveries in Pittsburgh’s rivers are accidents, said Eureka Fire-Rescue Chief Brad James, whether it’s by recreational boaters or, as was the case Sunday in Springdale, divers conducting training exercises.

James doesn’t dive, but he has been with the Tarentum-­based company for more than 40 years and wasn’t shocked to learn that divers stumbled upon a vehicle containing human remains, especially with the help of advanced sonar units.

“Sonar nowadays can define vehicles, objects and people,” he said.

The technology helped the Murrysville Medic One’s dive team detect a submerged vehicle in the Allegheny River near R.I. Lampus. Authorities removed it Sunday night with help from divers and a tow truck.

Murrysville Medic One director Darrick Gerano could not be reached for comment.

Allegheny County police later confirmed the presence of human remains. Public Information Officer Jim Madalinsky said the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to identify the remains as well as the cause and manner of death.

While the Medical Examiner’s Office declined to offer specifics on the case, officials said tattoos, dental records, circumstantial evidence, implanted medical devices, fingerprints and even DNA may be used for identification, depending on the status of the body.

Springdale police declined to comment at the scene, but Chief Derek Dayoub told TribLive on Monday that a Mazda 6, likely manufactured in 2012 or later, was towed up Butler Street about 10:30 p.m. Crews had been on the scene since early afternoon.

Dayoub described the vehicle as worn down by the elements but intact.

The make and model aligns with a vehicle owned by Bunnie Lee of Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, who went missing in 2013, and Medic One told TribLive news partner WTAE the license plate on the car found in the river matched Lee’s.

Divers and emergency responders often attest that local rivers are full of unusual and sometimes unfortunate discoveries. Last year, authorities retrieved an unoccupied car from near the Springdale Marina — a Yugo, last manufactured in 2008.

Dayoub said cases with sunken cars usually involve theft, insurance fraud or missing people.

The Yugo could have been one of the more than 100 underwater vehicles in the Allegheny River spotted the previous year by Adventures With Purpose and Chaos Divers, groups that specialize in recovering underwater evidence in cold cases.

The river also is full of less remarkable debris, such as fishing gear and logs, according to Dave Webb, a longtime diver and president of Eureka. He recently has been involved in a few car extractions. In these cases, divers must place the tow hook, which can prove challenging in murky waters.

“It’s just a matter of being able to get to the axle or solid part of the vehicle that’s not going to be ripped apart when the tow truck starts pulling,” Webb said.

Divers near communities served by the Allegheny Valley Regional Emergency Management Agency soon will get help from an underwater drone. It’s capable of latching onto debris, allowing divers to follow the tether line and minimize the amount of time they’re underwater.

Bruno Moretti, coordinator for the agency, said it could be used while recovering other vehicles from the river in addition to evidence collection.

“They’re finding cars all the time,” Moretti said. “People steal cars and dump them in the river.”

Divers still will be used for body recovery.

These drones could see a heavier role in rescues across the Pittsburgh area as the number of certified and experienced divers shrinks.

In the Alle-Kiski Valley, only Lower Kiski Ambulance Service and Murrysville Medic One have dedicated dive teams, according to James. Almost every ambulance service or fire department along the Allegheny River used to have one, he said, but it’s been decades since that was the case.

“There’s less people and there’s less money,” he said.