October 1st, 2024

Northern Ontario man solves local legend, finds vintage liquor at bottom of lake

Jason Ploeger discovered a sunken 1929 taxi cab in Larder Lake, resolving a 1937 local legend. He recovered six liquor bottles, with plans for an auction to benefit a charity.

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Northern Ontario man solves local legend, finds vintage liquor at bottom of lake

Jason Ploeger, a resident of Larder Lake, Northern Ontario, has resolved a local legend that dates back to 1937 by discovering a sunken taxi cab in Larder Lake. The taxi, a 1929 REO Flying Cloud, was believed to have sunk while transporting liquor and holiday bonuses for miners during a Christmas party. After 35 years of searching, Ploeger found the vehicle while fishing, using a side imager to identify its outline beneath the water. He and fellow divers explored the site, recovering six bottles of liquor from the cab. One bottle exploded due to pressure, but Ploeger described the taste of the recovered whisky as "very smooth." The intact bottles will be auctioned at a charity event to benefit the Friends of Larder, with Ploeger emphasizing that the story belongs to the town rather than himself. He plans to leave the taxi at the lake's bottom for future divers to explore, while he continues to investigate other local mysteries, including sunken boats and a WWII military plane.

- Jason Ploeger discovered a sunken taxi in Larder Lake after 35 years of searching.

- The taxi was believed to have sunk while carrying liquor for miners in 1937.

- Six bottles of liquor were recovered, with one bottle described as "very smooth."

- An auction of the intact bottles will benefit a local charity.

- Ploeger intends to leave the taxi at the lake for future divers to explore.

AI: What people are saying
The discovery of the sunken taxi cab and its contents has generated a lively discussion among commenters.
  • Many appreciate the charming small-town vibe of the story and the nostalgia it evokes.
  • There are questions about the logistics of recovering the whiskey bottles without losing their contents.
  • Some commenters express disappointment that the car itself could not be recovered due to its fragility.
  • Legal and ethical considerations regarding the removal of the car and its contents are raised.
  • Several users share personal connections to the location, highlighting its significance to the community.
Link Icon 13 comments
By @thedailymail - about 2 months
Besides the intrinsically fun story, I really enjoyed the small-town news vibe of the whole article – the local guy who discovers the sunken taxi while fishing, takes a photo of its hubcap, samples some of the whisky, and takes a selfie showing his wincing reaction to the "rough" second bottle. In ye olden days, local newspapers would be full of charmingly mundane stories like these alongside town council minutes, the results of the 5K fun run, and lots of classifieds.
By @ziofill - about 2 months
“I was excited. I almost gave up fishing for the day.”

I love how he almost gave up fishing.

By @throwup238 - about 2 months
I'm curious if there were any way to bring up the whiskey bottles without losing the contents when they pop? Something like an underwater bag that they can place the whiskey into, then pump out any air, and pour the popped whiskey from the bag into the bottle when they're on the surface.
By @justusthane - about 2 months
Did not expect to see my home pop up on the front page of HN — I live in Northern Ontario, and only a ten hour drive from where this article is set!

More seriously, I did actually live just an hour south of there briefly. Northern Ontario is a big place.

By @userbinator - about 2 months
He says the car is "too fragile to remove," so it will stay at the bottom of Larder Lake for other divers to enjoy.

I'm sure that would give a few YouTubers some ideas. "Submerged for almost 90 years, will it run?"

This is what an intact one looks like: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carphotosbyrichard/51802374832

By @Animats - about 2 months
Forget the booze. Too bad they couldn't recover the car. The 1929 REO Flying Cloud was a cool car.[1] (Although the guy who fully restored one couldn't get more than US$22K for it.)

[1] https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1929-reo-flying-cloud-mode...

By @yieldcrv - about 2 months
> There was no gold, but they did spot six bottles in the back of what they now know is a 1929 REO Flying Cloud.

I would also pay a publicist to create this historical record

By @kmoser - about 2 months
At what point does it become legally fair game to remove the car and/or its contents?
By @potato3732842 - about 2 months
Liquor, hazmat-ish object in a body of water, serialized property (car). Living in the US I wouldn't touch this with a 10ft pole lest some bureaucracy make me responsible cleaning it up "the right way" or something (and we all know they don't just let you and your buddies winch it out over a few beers). I'm glad Canada seems a little be more sensibly lassiaz-faire about these things when the actions are being taken in good faith.
By @Simulacra - about 2 months
Can someone explain why the corks popped on the surface but not in the water? What is the pressure at the bottom of lake keeping the corks in?
By @zoklet-enjoyer - about 2 months
Looking at a map, I'm surprised that's considered Northern Ontario
By @jrootabega - about 2 months
Aaaand Far Cry 5 just became even more Canadian.