Man charged with DUI, his car under Hayden Lake ice

Robyn Nance by Robyn Nance

Kootenai County deputies arrested 37 year old John W. Hamilton of Coeur d’Alene for his second offense DUI. They say he drove out onto Hayden Lake and his car broke through the ice.

Sunday, at approximately 10:10 p.m., deputies were dispatched to Honeysuckle Beach in Hayden for a report that a vehicle drove onto the ice and was sinking.

Witnesses reported a vehicle had twice driven onto the lake from the Honeysuckle Beach Boat Launch, but was now sinking. When deputies arrived, they witnessed a male in wet clothing walking towards the shore as the tail lights of the vehicle slipped beneath the surface.

Members of the KCSO Dive Rescue Team and KCSO’s Sonar Team responded to the scene. Based on Hamilton’s statements, KCSO believed that he was the only occupant of the vehicle. As a precautionary measure, KSCO’s Sonar Team deployed a Remote Operated Vehicle under the ice to confirm no one else was inside Hamilton’s vehicle.

The sheriff’s office says the vehicle broke through the ice approximately 650 feet from shore and is submerged in approximately 17′ of water.

Due to the ice, the vehicle was not recovered and will most likely not be recovered until the ice melts.

KCSO is urging everyone to please stay away from the ice around the vehicle.

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