Jeep Wrangler Takes a Brisk Swim in Frigid Maine Waters
A 1987 Jeep Wrangler took a dip in the cold waters of South Bristol Harbor yesterday after the crawler slipped out of gear.
This past Monday in Eastern state of Maine, a mint 1987 Jeep Wrangler rolled into South Bristol Harbor waters after a mechanical mishap. William O. Glendinning, the disgruntled owner of the Wrangler, says that he was backing up a boat on the boat ramp at Eugley Landing. He set the parking brake and placed the manual transmission in first, and stepped out of the vehicle. As his back was turned, he heard a loud snap, and turned to see his beloved Jeep rolled into the Damariscotta River.
As reported for The Lincoln County News by Evan Houk, the local fire department was called at 8 pm that evening to rescue to Jeep. Though, to Glendinning’s luck, there just so happened to be a couple of good samaritans willing to lend their skills and resources to help. A father and son pair, David and John Gallagher, were just what Glendinning needed. David is a diver, and John just so happened to have a towing chain in the truck they were driving. David jumps into the water, equips a chain, and then opens the top of the Wrangler so he can steer the Jeep up the ramp while his son John steadily pulled the Jeep from the depths.
Houk stated that in the midst of the Gallaghers’ angelic efforts, a professional tow truck had arrived, and relieved John from towing. David still in the water, he offered to further assist the tow trucks drivers. Grateful they were spared from braving the cold waters, they worked in unison with Papa Gallagher steering to pull the Jeep from the water. While that was happening, the Fire and Sheriff Department arrived to assess the situation.
As Glendinning described the noise and retraced the unfortunate scenarios, Mark Carrothers, Fire Chief of the South Bristol Fire Department, is sure that the Wrangler simply slipped out of gear. When questions were raised as to whether or not the slippery seaweed growing on the ramp had a part in the automotive scuba incident, Carrothers wasn’t so sure.
Regardless, it’s simply amazing that the Gallaghers were so ready and willing to devote themselves to helping Glendinning get his Jeep back. While it’s not been made clear as to what’s happened to the Jeep mechanically and what’s to be done to it to revive it, it’s an amazing ode to the tenderness in people we don’t get to see very often anymore. Cheers to the Gallaghers!
Photos: Evan Houk for the Lincoln County News
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