Citroen submerged off Naantali for over two years as driver avoids removal orders

The city of Naantali has given the driver of a Citroen that sank through ice in Rymättylä in January 2024 a final two-month deadline to retrieve it from the seabed, Yle reports. If the driver fails to act, the city will have the car raised and send him the bill, estimated at more than 12,000 euros.

The car lies at a depth of 24 meters near the island of Otava. The driver, who lives outside the municipality, has ignored repeated removal requests for more than two years. The latest order, issued last autumn, could not be delivered directly because the driver did not collect the registered letter; it was eventually served via a bailiff, but the deadline had already passed.

The city’s environmental board issued a new order this week with a threat of enforcement. The driver has said he planned to dive to attach lifting straps and hire a company but later told authorities he could not afford the operation and could not dive.

Naantali environmental manager Saija Kajala said the car poses an environmental hazard and could drift into shallower water, endangering boaters. The driver is not the registered owner, and the owner has refused to pay because he was not behind the wheel when the car went through the ice.

The car sank while the driver and a passenger were searching for ice-fishing spots. Tire tracks leading to open water triggered a large rescue operation, but the two were later found safe on shore.

The Finnish Coast Guard receives reports of submerged vehicles every year, but typically they are removed promptly, said field commander Antti Nikkilä. Towing entrepreneur Esa Harkka called the Naantali case unusual because cars are normally raised as soon as possible, though some sinkings may go unreported.