Surprise Recovery In SC

Here's the story from The Herald:

FORT MILL -- Days ago, Brad Tripps’ gold-colored SUV hit black ice and went into a spin. The 33-year-old Winthrop University professor’s SUV plunged through some branches anchored along a curvy Fairway Drive near Doby’s Bridge Road.

Then it hit the water.

Clutching his briefcase, Tripp managed to free himself from his 2001 gold Nissan Pathfinder.

“I am happy to be alive,” he said. “I thank God I’m alive.”

That was Monday night when parts of York County were still covered with snow and patches of black ice. Days later, Tripp returned to the site to watch a York County Emergency Rescue Team locate his SUV so it could be retrieved from the pond.

“I’m just ready to get it out of the water and move on with my life,” Tripp said.

But things didn’t go quite as expected.

The rescue team located a vehicle and notified officials.

“Car is upside down,” a member of the rescue team called from the water. “Hopefully, we can flip it.”

Later, a wrecker worked to pull the vehicle from its muddy grave. As a black car surfaced, and Tripp got a surprise.

“That’s not my car,” he said. “Now, it’s a crime scene.”

Within minutes, a black, two-door coupe was revealed.

No one was inside the mystery car that had “VTEC” on its left side and a paper tag.

The rescue team will return Friday to search for Tripp's car, and they hope to pull it from the water by Saturday.

Meanwhile, the black mystery car was towed from the scene.

Anyone with any information about the car are asked to call the Fort Mill Police Department at 547-2022.