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Kenai River surrenders a lost pickup truck

Sterling man hauls in Toyota revealed by winter waters

By PHIL HERMANEK
Peninsula Clarion

Published: November 10, 2005

STERLING -- After a four-month stay at the bottom of the Kenai River, a pickup has been recovered -- and it runs.

In late June, Sterling resident Larry Hansen, 66, parked his Toyota pickup on Huske Lane, which resembles a boat ramp and leads right into the river off the east end of Scout Lake Loop Road.

He hiked a short distance down to the river to do some fishing and heard a vehicle moving behind him.

He turned and was stunned to see his 1984 truck heading into the water.

Hansen told Alaska State Troopers he wasn't sure if he had set the emergency brake, but whether he did or not, the truck somehow started rolling and went into the river.

Several emergency response boats were launched from Central Emergency Services, Kenai River State Park and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but responders were unable to secure a line to the truck, and it was last seen going completely underwater about a mile downriver.

On Oct. 23, Hansen was surprised again -- this time by a phone call from a Kenai River State Park ranger reporting they had spotted the roof of his truck.

The water level of the river had begun receding and the top of his truck was sticking out about 1 1/2 miles down from Huske Lane.

"I had been out there about a week earlier and walked about a mile up and down the shoreline but didn't see it," Hansen said.

After getting the phone call, he decided to let the water go down a little more, and on Oct. 30 a recovery effort was launched.

With the help of sons-in-law Lonnie McMilin and Terry Corsen, and family friend Joel Smith, a line was tied to the truck's rear bumper and the men used a Come-Along to ease it up and out of the river.

After about four hours of carefully pulling the vehicle onto the rocky shore, the men used a tractor to pull the truck the rest of the way up onto a dirt road.

Once on solid ground in town, the truck's gas tank, crankcase and radiator, and related lines, were drained and flushed. New fluids were put in and the truck was started.

McMilin said the pickup is now going to become the project of Hansen's 15-year-old grandson, Teagun Corsen, who will have to clean silt from every nook and cranny of the vehicle.

"I told them if they got it out, they could keep it," Hansen said.

After his truck went into the river, he bought a new Toyota Tundra.

"They're really good trucks," he said.

Other than the accumulation of river mud and some slight scratches on the roof, the older truck came through the ordeal unscathed.

"The (outside rearview) mirrors didn't even look like they had been moved," McMilin said.

One of the first things Hansen checked when the truck came ashore was the emergency brake. It was still set; it just had not held, according to McMilin.

Oh, and while Hansen did not continue fishing the day his truck floated away, the truck did catch a fish.

When the truck was retrieved from the river, a sockeye salmon was found trapped up under the truck bed, according to McMilin.

"I guess it got tired of me trying to catch fish and just caught fish of its own," Hansen said with a laugh.

Thats why I got a 85 Toyota.

Toyota Pickup Truck 1 Kenai River 0

If there such good trucks why didn't the emergency brake hold? Just a thought from a stubborn Ford guy.

maybe the guy sucked at maintanence, and never once checked or adjusted his rear brakes?

On that same note:

Toyota Truck - 1 Sockeye salmon - 0

Toyota should give this guy a free truck (I know he already bought one though) just for proving how well they're built.

THis is why Toyota is going to be the #1 automaker eventually!

Sounds like its a proven fishing lure.

Maybe Toyota could come out with a smaller truck we can use for panfish, something good with 1800 lb test line.