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Divers pull vehicle from Round Lake Beach retention pond

A team of divers and an Antioch towing company pulled a vehicle from a detention pond in Round Lake Beach Sunday morning, hours after its owner drove into the water.

Battalion Chief Tony Carraro of the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District said the vehicle, a dark blue Suzuki Vitara, entered the pond near the Home Depot, 2050 N. Route 83, shortly after 2:30 a.m.

He said the man driving the vehicle was able to get out and go to the nearby Meijer, 750 E. Rollins Road, to summon help.

The fire department was unable to provide any information about the driver, and the Round Lake Beach Police Department couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Carraro said it was too hazardous to attempt to retrieve the car in darkness, so crews returned around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Divers from several departments converged on the scene and met with the towing company, Antioch Automotive, to devise a plan.

Divers marked the vehicle with a buoy and attached a tow cable to the car. Because of the pond's sheer walls, a specialized wrecker was used to pull the vehicle from the water.

"We had to switch out divers frequently because of the cold water," Carraro added.

Two divers from Round Lake, one from Grayslake, one from Antioch, two from Lake Villa and two from Fox Lake took part in the effort.

  Authorities said a man who drove the car into a Round Lake Beach pond early Sunday was able to escape on his own. Lee Filas/lfilas@dailyherald.com
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