DENVER — At Florida Avenue and Platte River Drive in Denver, there have been seven vehicles in the South Platte River. Some are probably cars people stole, using for a joyride and then dumping them into the river.

Others may have been swept off the road during the spring flooding. No matter how they got there, the high waters of the Platte kept recovery crews from being able to get to them. But Thursday fire and tow crews got to work, hooking up and dragging the vehicles out.

“The river is still very dangerous,” said Lt. Mike Pylar with Denver Fire. “You can see our crews hooked up to safety ropes and other gear, just in case they slip into the Platte.”

Penny Nelson said, “First responders do so much great work, this is just another example of the danger they get exposed to on a daily basis.”

Two of the cars were south of Florida, one truck was under the Florida Avenue bridge, three were north of the bridge, another was under the Alameda Avenue bridge another was across from the Comcast building near Elitches.

All totaled, it took the crews about six hours to make all the extractions from the river.

Job one now, finding owners of the cars which are waterlogged and probably totaled for sure.