Local
Gary crews recover car from Buffington Harbor; 75-year-old woman found dead
Sheila Harris called 911 around 2 a.m. Saturday to report that her vehicle had entered the water and was sinking. Crews located and recovered the car the next day after a prolonged search complicated by hazardous, contaminated water.
A 75-year-old woman who called 911 after her vehicle entered the water near Gary’s Buffington Harbor was found dead inside the car, police said.
Gary police received the call from Sheila Harris at about 2 a.m. Saturday. Dispatchers used location technology to narrow the search to the area near the harbor entrance, but responding police and firefighters could not initially find the vehicle.
Investigators used surveillance video and an underwater camera to identify where the car had gone into the water. Police said the search took seven to eight hours.
Hazardous conditions and contaminated water prevented divers from safely reaching the vehicle, so recovery efforts were paused until Sunday. A hazmat team then recovered the white Hyundai. After crews decontaminated it, they went inside and found Harris dead. The Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed her identity.
The investigation was ongoing as of Monday evening. Anyone with information is asked to contact Gary Police Department Traffic Division Cpl. Tyler Knotts at 219-881-1217.