Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 3rd June, 2021)

Looks as if it's been stolen and deliberately run into the canal. It looks almost new. What a shame if it has ....

Ho, my word what a shock seeing pad.This morning, how has this happened? Hope everyone is ok.

From the dents in the roof, I'd guess its presence was detected by a passing boater....

I suspect another stolen car and someone's pride and joy.
Horrible thieves who just get a slap on the wrist.
That's my assumption when you read the Wigan Observer "the week in court".

Some one once called this "joy riding" its not joyful for the owner of the car and the distress that could be caused by this stupid act.Pity who ever drove it did not drown then that would be at least one less scum around.

It looks to me as if it's been pushed in after they have finished with it and no petrol left!

I once had an experience like this. A relative had come from the south in her boat and moored in Parbold. Myself and two cousins drove onto the canal side parking to meet up. On leaving one cousin (not an experienced driver) rolled into the canal and started to sink. Panic all round. I was on the bank signaling to her to wind the window down so as to allow water into the car as she couldn't open the door against the outside water pressure. The boat owner was trying to use the long boat pole, someone else was running for help, another person jumped in and managed to open the car and pull her out. When the car had finally settled it was fully submerged with just a faint image showing. Cousin gave up driving a short time after.

Looks like Micks made an excellent video top accompany this photo of the day.

The Video

https://youtu.be/GZvgpdG4T5E

Crouch recovery or on TV channel 5 ,they do some tricky jobs and dangerous jobs on Britain's Motorways and around the country roads.

Agree with Garry and PeterP. In the unlikely event the culprit is ever apprehended, punishment is a joke. The best outcome would be for whoever was responsible to have drowned - one less low life with no respect for other people's property to laugh at the law .

DerekB and PeterP, you don't know if it was joy riders or an accident by the owner like as Anne said, so how can you say as you did. A car being a chunk of metal can be replaced, a persons life cannot be. I once kept hens until a hungry fox took them all and I too put the blame on the fox, that is until I realised it was myself who was to blame, the hens were an enticement to hungry foxes and I hadn't secured the coop enough to stop them getting in.

When I saw this, this morning, it never entered my head it may be stolen.I must have got up too early.

Well done to them men! It could have been the Titanic they were raising, they were so focused on the job at hand! Good video to watch!

It really is bad seeing this, as Veronica stated a brand new car. But out of every calamity we should look for the positive! At least the wipers worked ok.

The place where we were parked is on the opposite bank facing the mill. It slopes down and isn't far to the canal itself. I have looked on google, there now seems to be some kind of bollards right across the edge of the canal now.

I understand your sentiments Cyril but looking at the photo, it doesn’t appear to be an accident. Seems that the car has been stolen and disposed of after the “fun” has ended or the fuel run out. I agree with Garry, PeterP and DerekB. Although maybe not the drowning comment.

If the car had been stolen then visible deterrents such as gear or steering wheel locks could have prevented the theft and the costs of recovery. Though how did it became to be stolen, it is a 2008 registration and a Ford car so surely there would have been a factory fitted immobiliser and more than likely an alarm too, I'm sure too that Ford and other manufacturers cars from around 1995 onwards also had a code within the key fob to further help prevent a vehicle being started without the key. Unless thieves having been in prison previously and attended lectures in technology, supposedly to help them to get employment on being released, then begin to use this knowledge to bypass security systems.

It would be interesting if there was a follow up, to find out out how the car ended up in the canal. There's always the registration numbers.

Cyril all car security devices can be by passed if some one wants to steal the car.

Yes obviously if it's an high end car they can either clone or sell on, but the so called joy riders or opportunistic thieves would move on to look for an easier target before spending a lot of time and noise in trying to remove a security device.

Cyril they dont remove the security device they just by pass it. Modern cars are nearly has easy to break into and steal has cars which you could hot wire. Keyless cars can have their door locks and ignition cloned and all the car makers say is buy a crook lock and put your keys in a faridah pouch

Yes Peter, it's those hardened steel steering wheel and gear lever locking devices are what I mean not those bendy Krookloks, they'd need an angle grinder to remove them and cause a lot of damage too, as well as making a lot of noise.
Report from Canal and River Trust, doesn't mention if accidently driven in or stolen then dumped. link:-

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/19809-lock-69-to-lock-70-wigan-flight-leeds-and-liverpool-canal

As boaters on the canals for 18 years, we have sailed the length and breadth of this Country and spoken to many Police and Rescue workers and 9 out of every 10 that end up in the canal are stolen vehicles.

My guess would be, its been stolen by some low life.

I've had 2 stolen in my motoring lifetime, never saw them again. Not funny and in no way joyous at all