Amateur fisherman discovers cars in Charles River

Using a fish-finding sonar system to search for bass in the Charles River, amateur fisherman Jim Thames has come across four cars that were previously lost under the water. Intrigued by his success, he is now determined to discover more. Thames has discovered that the river is also a dumping ground for stolen cars.

After spending countless days exploring the depths of the Charles River with his trusty "fish finder" sonar device, Jim Thames, a skilled fisherman from Wellesley, has honed his ability to decipher what lies beneath the murky surface. During one of his recent excursions, while on the lookout for freshwater bass, he spotted an unusual shape on his sonar screen, which appeared to be distinct from the usual logs and rocks that he typically observes lining the riverbed.

Upon first glance, Thames suspected that the mysterious shape on his fish finder resembled a car. To verify his assumption, he decided to drop a fishing magnet into the water to see if it would adhere to the object. Confirming his suspicion, the magnet immediately attached itself to the object below. Thames quickly contacted the Waltham Fire Department, and soon thereafter, a state police dive team and tow truck arrived on the scene. The team successfully extracted a 2001 Volvo station wagon, which had been submerged in the river for a decade and was heavily covered in mud and slime. Upon further investigation, authorities discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen 10 years earlier, as per police reports.

Earlier this week, Thames had another stroke of luck when he stumbled upon another sunken car about a quarter mile upstream near the Waltham Watch Factory building. However, the car was severely corroded from years of being submerged, and the dive team concluded that it was too fragile and hazardous to be retrieved. Thames suspects that he may have located yet another submerged car on Wednesday in a more easterly direction, but the authorities have not yet commenced an investigation. Having had a series of fortuitous findings lately, Thames is now resolute in his quest to uncover as many lost vehicles as possible in the muddy depths of the Charles River.

“I’m 1,000 percent confident that I’m going to find more,” he said.

The Volvo retrieved from the Charles River in Waltham is being examined by the MSP Dive Team. - Peter Lobo.

Boaters can use sonar equipment to obtain a relatively comprehensive view of submerged objects. However, most people who use these devices, also known as fish finders, focus solely on catching fish and don't pay attention to the nuances of the riverbed. Thames, on the other hand, takes a different approach. He thoroughly examines the terrain, even though it may take him longer to catch fish. "I take my time," he explained. "As an older gentleman, I'm not in a rush. I have time to appreciate nature, look around, and explore. It's just a fun little pastime."

More than a decade ago, Thames (which is pronounced like the river in England) had his first experience searching for cars in the Charles River. He was fishing near a public boat ramp in Waltham in 2012 when his fish finder alerted him to a large, anomalous piece of metal approximately 20 yards from the riverbank. To get a better view, he circled back over it, and that's when he realized it was a car. "When you look at the object at the correct angle, it's just clear that this can be nothing but a car," he said. "It really stands out." He promptly notified the police, but in his haste, he forgot to mention that the car had most likely been in the river for years and didn't just recently fall in with passengers still inside.

"Thames recalled that when he first found a car submerged in the Charles over a decade ago, authorities mistakenly assumed it was a rescue situation and promptly dispatched a rescue team with inflatable boats and divers. Thames quickly realized their mistake and informed them that it was not a rescue situation. The divers later determined that the car had been underwater for decades and was too decomposed to be removed, as per police records. Thames initially thought it was an isolated incident, but now that he has discovered three more cars in just over a week, he believes there may be many more hidden in the river, and he knows where to search."

Locations where cars were found in the Charles River

Thames intends to explore the riverbed beyond his usual fishing spots, particularly in areas close to docks or parking lots with no guardrails, where individuals could potentially abandon a car. This has brought an element of excitement to his otherwise calm fishing trips. Whenever he uncovers a vehicle, he can't help but wonder what discoveries investigators might make within it. He confessed, "The notion that there might be a body inside the car did spook me a bit. That idea crossed my mind."

However, Thames' investigations are not without a cost. He mentioned that the police have informed him that the expense of sending the dive team every time he locates a car could quickly accumulate. They have asked him to take note of the positions of the vehicles he discovers until he has found several of them. This way, they can retrieve all of them from the water on the same day.

No response was given by the state police regarding his activities as an amateur detective.

In the meantime, the Charles River Watershed Association, a conservation organization that removes more than 50,000 pounds of rubbish from the river annually, has backed Thames' efforts. The non-profit acknowledges that there are some vehicles in the river, and it's common to find tires and other debris in the water. Jen Ryan, the CRWA's deputy director of advocacy, said she's satisfied that Thames is helping to clean up the river in a distinctive way. "Cars have no place in the Charles," Ryan stated. "He's taking charge and making a change."