Frozen to Free: An Ice Recovery

By George L. Nitti

For nearly a month, a car was partially submerged on a frozen lake in Eastern Minnesota after plunging through the ice. The owner had tried to recover the vehicle, but with no money and limited resources, hope seemed distant. It wasn’t until a specialized towing and recovery company, American Towing and Recovery, based out of Lake Elmo, stepped in to do the job.  

Corey Albertson, the owner of the tow company, who also operates Twin City School and Kayak, which provides underwater vehicle recovery services, said, "We specialize in underwater recovery, and when this guy reached out, we could see the situation was tough. He didn’t have insurance or the money, and after a month of sitting in the lake, it was just getting worse. We could help, and we did. Pro-bono." 

The setup for the recovery involved a considerable amount of equipment: an A-frame on skis to prevent damage to the ice, winches, divers, and more. For this job, however, Albertson and his team assessed that they could complete the operation in just a few hours - without the need for a dive. 

"We were able to get in and get it out in two hours," explained Albertson. "The tail of the car was already sticking out, so the depth wasn’t too bad. It was cold and windy, but we’ve done enough of these to be efficient." 

The ice recovery process itself was a well-coordinated effort. The A-frame was placed over the car, securing it to the ice with ice anchors, while two winches pulled the car back onto solid ground. At no point did Albertson’s team place their tow trucks on the ice due to the inherent risk. Instead, smaller, safer equipment was used to drag the vehicle to shore, where it was later transported to a scrapyard. 

Albertson also reached out to a non-profit organization to assist and secured a donation from another towing company to help offset costs. “People don’t always understand that running a business responsibly means you can sometimes afford to give back,” he said. “In this case, the job only took a couple of hours, and the guy’s life was changed. He’d been told ‘no’ by everyone, and then we showed up.” 

As Albertson’s company continues to specialize in underwater recovery, he and his team stay busy throughout the year, not only assisting with ice-related incidents but also providing services for private property and repossession work. His unique combination of diving expertise and towing services has made the company a key player in the industry. 

"It’s all about finding a niche," Albertson said. "When I started this business in 2007, there were only a few of us. Now, every towing company seems to be in competition. We’ve carved out our own specialty, and it’s been rewarding."