Man fishing at Cheney Lake finds Jeep stolen in 1990 under water

Over Memorial Day Weekend, John Mounce said he was “floored” by what he discovered beneath the surface at Cheney Lake.
Published: Jun. 2, 2023 at 9:29 PM CDT
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WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Friday night, 12 News learned more about a Jeep pulled from Cheney Lake last weekend. A Wichita man, fishing for crappie, spotted the vehicle under the water.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, John Mounce said he was “floored” by what he discovered beneath the surface at Cheney Lake.

“I happened to pick up something from my side scan and I circled back and dropped a live scope on it,” Mounce said. “I immediately knew, 100%, that it was a vehicle. It was a Jeep. I could tell. I could see the bar, I could see the steering wheel, the shifter, the whole nine yards.”

An investigation into the unique discovery revealed another surprise.

“I did speak with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office [Friday] and they confirmed with me that the Jeep was stolen in 1990,” Mounce said.

Cheney Lake Party Cove Co-Founder Jon Lovett said he also was caught off guard by the discovery.

“There is no way I would’ve guessed that,” he said of the stolen Jeep being discovered in the lake. “You know, you hear about it all over the country, lakes getting low and people finding things that have been buried for years. I just would’ve never thought it would’ve happened here.”