Longtime vehicle stuck in Mississippi River retrieved

A vehicle stuck in the Mississippi River for several years finally made its way back onto dry land.

Cape Girardeau Police Department Sgt. Joey Hann said the vehicle was found unoccupied Wednesday just south of the Red Star boat ramp in Cape Girardeau.

"The vehicle was first noticed when pedestrians at the riverfront observed it stuck in the frozen waters of the Mississippi in 2018," Hann said in a text message Thursday. "With changes to the banks and river patterns, it once again moved closer to the banks."

The Cape Girardeau police and fire departments were then able to remove the vehicle from the river, Hann said, and Cape Girardeau officers used vehicle identification numbers to confirm the identity of the owners.

According to Hann, the vehicle is not registered as a stolen vehicle and officers are now investigating how the vehicle ended up in the river.