The head of a volunteer dive team couldn’t believe it when diver Scott Rose radioed to say he “got Bravo.” This is a slang term used by the team when a diver discovers something important.
First, there was a radiator from a 1982 cold case that matched the specific car they were looking for, and then two wheels with hubcaps came from the same car, Sydney Dive Team Chief Steve Swain told Fox News. told Digital.
“At the time, we had divers search the area around the vehicle and they discovered some debris inside an exploded Camaro buried approximately 15 feet deep in Jack’s Creek in Washington, North Carolina,” Swain said. Ta.
That is the mysterious disappearance of William Clifton, David McMicken, and Michael Norman, who apparently disappeared after leaving a bar in Chocowinity, about a 30-minute drive from the dive site, on December 10, 1982. It may be the key to solving the case.
A car found with human remains in North Carolina Creek may hold answers to a 1982 cold case.
At the top is what appears to be a Camaro, the same car the trio were last seen leaving a bar in North Carolina in 1982. (Sydney Dive Team)
Once a body is found, Swain said, they need to “put together a plan B.” “What should we do next?”
“We thought the car was upside down, but it was actually sitting on the wheels, and everything above the wheels was just deteriorating,” Swain said.
Exclusive: Military veteran ‘Crazy Ed’ cracks down on would-be thieves on video after saving man’s life
That’s when they called local authorities, in this case police in Washington, North Carolina, to figure out the best way to get the pieces of the car out of the water without destroying potential evidence.
After obtaining the necessary permits and preparations, they eventually drained most of the water body while university anthropology experts investigated the ruins.
Once the water was pumped out, they were able to reach the car, and the VIN number matched the missing 1975 Camaro that the three missing people had been driving in 1982.
Debris of a car with a body inside found in North Carolina waters. Carefully pulled from waters in North Carolina. (Sydney Dive Team)
A body of water after pumping out water. (Sydney Dive Team)
McMicken’s family, including his daughter Kayla Melendrez, remained at the scene throughout the surgery.
“When I stepped on the scene, I felt the reality deeply,” she said.
Fraudster convicted of murdering wife publicly reprimanded for ‘numerous deceptions’ that destroyed family
Swain remembers his family appreciating all the efforts of Swain, Rose and the team.
“They supported our efforts and thanked our team, and you know that’s why we’re here,” Swain said. “Most of the diving is rescue work and recovery work, but we want to bring some closure to families to help with the healing process.
Sydney diving team chief Steve Swain spoke to Fox News Digital about the surprising discovery. (Chris Everhart/Fox News Digital/Zoom)
Johns Creek in North Carolina is almost empty. (Sydney Dive Team)
car wreck (Sydney Dive Team)
The creepiest part of the entire mission, Swain said, was how many times everyone drove close to that body of water.
It’s like a downtown detention pond that drains into Pango Creek in Beaufort County, North Carolina.
“We’ve cycled by this pumping station thousands of times over the years, but we’ve never been inside,” Swain said.
Tropical resort popular with Americans no longer “banned” for cartel killer: “Rules have changed”
The reason they were there in the first place was because a YouTuber from Myrtle Beach named Jason Sfurada spotted something strange in the water while using a remote-controlled sonar device.
Swain passed the sonar images to several experts, including an all-volunteer dive team, and said, “It definitely looked like something we should be diving.”
The original sonar image that sparked a North Carolina volunteer dive team’s mission. (Jason Sfurada, Sydney Dive Team)
Mystery surrounds a site in Beaufort County, North Carolina, where a volunteer dive team may have created a crack that has existed for nearly 42 years. (Sydney Dive Team)
That was in December. The team geared up and set up a dive for February 9th, when they made the surprising discovery.
“I’m really grateful that the guy with the sonar took the initiative to look into this cold case and say, ‘Hey, I think there’s something here,'” Swain said. “We are very fortunate to have done what we were supposed to do and accomplished what we did.”
What’s next?
Police said they must wait until the body is positively identified before determining whether any foul play may have been involved.
The missing man’s family is currently awaiting the results of the identification process. In a joint statement, the families requested privacy to grieve, reflect and process these events in their own time.
Sign up to get it true crime newsletter
“They were very grateful to us,” Washington Police Chief Rollinson said. “They expressed how grateful they were that so many people were participating in the vehicle recovery effort and that we were able to salvage the wreckage that we were able to salvage. We wanted to give them a little closure. I am.”
Clifton’s daughter, Leah Rose, emphasized that the entire family is grateful.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“We would not have had this potential opportunity for closure without the sacrifice of Jason Sfurada, who took time from his family to help our family,” she said. “This has reopened the wound and started a new grieving process for the three families. Despite the pain, there is some relief in finally getting some answers.”
“I feel like I’m in some kind of dream,” Clifton’s other daughter, Leanne Mayo, told Fox News. “If I saw them, I never thought to prepare. I could have spent years watching sunsets by the stream with my dad and never noticed. I don’t know.”
fox news digital emily robertson contributed to this report.
