Thieves took an unlocked truck on a joyride and crashed it into Holmes Lake on Monday morning, a Lincoln police spokeswoman said.
A passer-by spotted the partially submerged truck at about 8:20 a.m. and called 911.
When Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews arrived, they found the truck about 20 feet off shore, surrounded by ice, Battalion Chief Leo Benes said.
A specialized water-rescue team put on cold-water rescue suits, cleared an icy area near the truck so they could dive, then checked inside and around the truck, Benes said. They didn't find anyone.
Two tow trucks helped pull the truck from the lake.
LPD & @LincFireRescue on scene of a vehicle submerged at Holmes Lake #LNK #LNK911 pic.twitter.com/s12T2jowAE
— Lincoln Police (@Lincoln_Police) February 5, 2018
The rare water rescue on a 12-degree morning was a little easier for crews who were able to break the thin ice around the truck instead of having to cut into it with chainsaws and axes, Benes said.
The water was four to five feet deep around the truck, he said.
Police believe the truck's keys had been left inside before it was stolen from the area of 84th and O streets, Officer Angela Sands said.
The truck hit vehicles and mailboxes in that area, Sands said.
Near the lake, the pickup hit another vehicle and drove through a yard before it was ditched.
"That's not the first time in my career that we’ve had that scenario play out,” said Benes, a 31-year fire department veteran.
