Help Solve Mystery Of This ATV Stuck In An Upstate New York Lake

New York State Rangers have stumbled upon many crazy things while on the job, but this one is a little different than most.

Forest Rangers up in Franklin County were completing a boat patrol on Tupper Lake when they noticed something weird on the shoreline. When they got closer, they found an ATV half submerged into the water.

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

After inspecting the four-wheeler, they determined it was in rough shape. They followed the tracks from the water and saw where the driver was coming from. The owner was driving the ATV down the railroad bed, drove off and straight down a 20-foot embankment.

What's interesting is that the four-wheeler still had fishing poles attached to it, along with a 25-inch walleye hanging from the back rack. Concerned, the Forest Rangers searched for an injured driver. They looked everywhere, but there was no one to be found.

Photo by Ellie Storms on Unsplash

After further investigation, the New York State Police were able to determine the owner. When troopers were sent to his home in Tupper Lake, they were told the 41-year-old was out of town. This only added more suspicion as to what happened.

The good news is the owner was eventually found, and he was completely uninjured. When they reached him, he did have a stolen winch in his possession. He was planning to use it to pull out the ATV.

visionsofmaine

Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Newell issued the man three tickets in total. Rangers were then sent to remove the ATV from the water.

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