Photos: courtesy of Collin Vandenheuvel
Not just another day on the job.
It was just after 5:00 p.m. on a warm August evening when the call came in: a farm tractor and trailer had gone overboard, dangling off the end of a ferry. Right away, we knew we were in for a serious challenge.
Gathering our gear, we weren’t sure exactly what we’d be dealing with, so we made sure to load up on everything we might need. A diver was also called in to assess the underwater situation and handle the rigging below the surface. Upon arrival, it became clear that this was going to be no ordinary recovery. The ferry was stuck on the far side of the river on an island, with the tractor hanging precariously by a partially sheered hitch.
May-June 2025
Our first move was to load a small boat with rigging supplies, chains, and binders, and make the trip across to the island. We quickly secured the trailer to the ferry to keep it from drifting, as it was still mostly above water. This would be the only thing holding the tractor in place against the strong river current. With the trailer stabilized, we sent our diver underwater to inspect the situation. Unfortunately, the strong current and low visibility made it tough to get a clear look. But one thing was certain: the tractor was lodged on its nose, stuck in the riverbed.
"As the tractor inched closer to shore, the mystery deepened.”
Given the circumstances, we decided our best bet was to hook onto the rear of the tractor and use the rotator’s drag winch to slowly drag the tractor, trailer, and ferry back across the river. The pull started off easy with minimal resistance as the tractor began to move. But when the ferry reached the centre of the river, the water was deep enough that the tractor was nearly suspended by just the hitch and our rigging.
The crews prepare for the recovery
Then came the real challenge: as we neared the shallows, the tractor got wedged between the riverbank and the bottom of the ferry. The diver couldn’t see anything, and we were completely in the dark about what we were dealing with beneath the surface.
With the ferry operator at the helm and the rotator winch engaged, we finally managed to free the tractor and move it forward, but at this point, the trailer had detached, and we had to leave it behind.
The work continued as daylight faded.
As the tractor inched closer to shore, the mystery deepened. We couldn’t tell how it was orientated underwater. But as it made its way up the bank, we were stunned to see that the tractor’s four-way flashers were still blinking. Remarkably, the tractor had rotated underwater and ended up upright on its wheels.
The tractor was stuck in the riverbed, lodged on its nose. Poor visibility and a strong current made it hard to determine what was going on
below the surface. A diver was required to inspect the situation and handle the underwater rigging.
Now that the tractor was on the edge of the river, we rerigged to lift the tractor back onto land. With the extra water weight, we were working with a total of 56,000 pounds that we had to muscle back ashore. After some careful maneuvering, the tractor was safely on land. But the job wasn’t over yet. We had to rerig again to lift the drowned Deere onto our float, then clear the way for the ferry to make it back to shore.
Once the ferry was safely docked, we turned our attention to the damaged lift gate. Using the rotator, we lifted the gate so the crew could offload the trailer and make the needed repairs to get the ferry back into service. This wasn’t just another day on the job. It was a fishing trip for the ages. 🍁