SILVER LAKE – A 15-year-old Silver Lake boy had to flee a vehicle after submerging it in a Kosciusko County lake. According to a press release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana conservation officers are investigating an accident which occurred at the Beaver Dam Lake public access boat ramp at approximately 10:40 a.m. Saturday. Aubert Clevenger, 15, Silver Lake, was attempting to back his uncle’s vehicle with an attached boat trailer down the ramp to launch his uncle’s boat when the accident occurred. David Swihart, 55, Silver Lake, was in the boat on the boat trailer and permitted Clevenger, who was unlicensed, to back the boat trailer down the ramp. Investigating Indiana Conservation Officer Jon Cook determined that Clevenger panicked due to his inexperience in operating a motor vehicle with a trailer attached. As Clevenger was backing up, he pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal, which caused the vehicle and trailer to accelerate into the lake and become submerged. Clevenger had left the driver’s door open and was forced to jump from the vehicle as it began to sink. Clevenger then had to swim to shore as the vehicle sank. The vehicle ended up approximately 25 yards into the lake with only the open back hatch door of the vehicle exposed. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department SCUBA team recovered the vehicle. No charges were filed against Swihart. Indiana conservation officers would like to remind boaters that all Indiana public access boat ramps require the operators of the vehicles utilizing the ramps to be licensed drivers. Backing trailers is also an activity that should be practiced until the operator becomes very comfortable with the procedure.
