Dozens Of Cars Found In Verdigris River: Magnet Fishermen, Divers Raise Concerns

A group of magnet fishermen and divers are concerned after they found dozens of cars near Boat Ramp 33 on the Verdigris River.

The three men all have social media pages and YouTube channels that document their discoveries in the Midwest.

"You pull the magnet through the mud, and then there's anything on the bottom, it'll click to it and pull it up," said Chance James.

"I travel the country, you know, pulling stuff out of the river. A lot of people call it trash; I call it treasures. You throw a magnet in, and now you never know what you're going to find," said Jeff Hallows.

Jeff Hallows is a YouTuber and diver. Chance James is a magnet fishing influencer, and Patrick Willoughby is a professional diver.

They mostly search for lost items, treasures and other things.

"I found guns, knives, artillery shells from wars and all kinds of stuff," said James.

Thursday, on the Verdigris River, they found dozens of cars below the surface.

Some could be the result of illegal dumping; others could be connected to crimes. Patrick worries those crimes could be unsolved.

"If they are connected to a missing person or a cold case, then families deserve to know that," said Willoughby.

As a diver, he's seen his fair share of the secrets dark water holds. He tells us he's helped pull 18 bodies out of dark waters over the last two years.

"It's not fair; people deserve closure," said Willoughby.

While he doesn't believe there are bodies in these vehicles, he does think someone should pull them out to make sure.

Many no longer have plates, which could mean they've already been reported to the authorities, but Willoughby wants someone to make sure.

"I believe this boat ramp and this body of water has more it wants to tell us," said Willoughby.

News On 6 reached out to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and they say they are aware of these vehicles.

Their policy is not to remove cars unless there is a compelling law enforcement request associating the area with a crime.