Last night, the quiet of Benicia was disrupted by the sounds of sirens as local firefighters rushed to a vehicle accident at the 9th Street boat launch ramp, where a driver had a narrow escape after their vehicle plunged into the water. Benicia Fire Department reported that the driver managed to exit the vehicle before it submerged and was provided on-scene medical care before being transported to a local hospital.
The fire department, joined by U.S. Coast Guard Station Vallejo, launched an overnight search for the submerged vehicle, which proved futile due to poor visibility and the depth of the water, the complex operation was hampered by darkness and the water's murkiness, which cloaked the vehicle from view.
With daylight, the recovery mission advanced as the Solano County Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene with sophisticated sonar equipment capable of piercing the watery depths, mapping the elusive contours where the vehicle was suspected to lie in its aqueous grave. A specialized dive team was requested by Solano County, signifying a deepening of the recovery efforts, which continued throughout the day.
Due to the recovery operation, the 9th Street boat ramp remains inaccessible to the public, fishermen, boaters, and everyday folks.
