Watch the full episode of "Rise of the Mob" right here on Nat Geo TV: www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/drain-the-oceans and coming soon to D+!

My Dad was born in northern Michigan in 1902 and had several relatives and many friends in the Fair Haven area. Dad told me he and his friends "ran" whiskey across the Saint Claire river, which because it is wider, doesn't flow as fast as the Detroit river and therefore freezes faster and thicker than the Detroit river. He told me they always used old junk Ford Model T or early Model A sedans that had the back seats removed to accommodate more cargo. Dad said both he and the driver would ride on the running boards with the doors open in case they broke through the ice. They always "ran" at night usually in a snow storm, which covered their tracks and provided concealment from the police. I'm guessing the truck was crossing at the southern end of Lake Saint Claire, which would have thicker ice than on the Detroit River and wouldn't be a whole lot further across. If it was loaded and on its return trip to Michigan, it would be significantly heavier and more susceptible to breaking through the ice. The truck was probably swept down river by the swift Detroit River current after spilling its "precious" cargo on the Lake and upper River bed. There might be a "small" fortune in Canadian whiskey scattered on the floor of the Lake and River. My Dad was a young guy at the time and many kids at that age did and still do crazy things for fun. He and his friends weren't gangsters, just stupid kids making a lot of money in a short time. I'm sure glad the ice didn't break and that the cops didn't catch them.....😊

Inspiring. While others are focused on exploring space and beyond, there's still hidden mysteries right here on earth.

Looks like it could be a Ford TT truck built from 1917 to 1928. There was a ferry service between Detroit and Windsor at one time, so it's possible it was lost from one of them. It's also possible it was a rum runner's truck lost through the ice during prohibition.

I grew up on the southern part of the river. My granddad was a bootlegger. There was a Seagrams distillery at Amherstburg (probably still is) and trucks would run on the ice from there to Grosse Ile when the ice allowed. The river is broader and slower in those southern reaches and would freeze up pretty solid in most years.

I would love nothing more than to be a diver looking for Ancient sea wrecks and lost civilizations!!! What a great life that would be!!!

A buddy of mine who worked in environmental science was tasked with doing battery counts at marker bouys in Tampa Bay that the Coast Guard had been throwing overboard for years. He said on the deeper ones it was so dark he could barely see his hand in front of him. He counted almost a thousand acid lead batteries during those 2 months.

Just my two cents: it is a truck pushed off the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry. It might have been during the prohibition. The Purple Gang may have got rid of a non- working truck by off loading aboard and pushing the carcass over the side. The ferry was a tug pulled barge. The captain probably worked for Burnstien Brothers.

It would be a model t pickup truck. During the depression they used them on the ice to haul rocks to build up the shore along the river and lake st Clair. The river froze over before they started using ice breakers to keep it open. My grandfather lived up little river and would skate down the river to the Detroit river and right across to Peche island. Trucks were also used on the ice to run booze during proabition.

for the ppl who don't know the car is more then likely to be a Ford model T and thats been down there from at lest 1908

Jay Leno probably knows that car including number of units sold lol

• Episode 2: *What kind of truck is it* • Episode 3: *What was it used for* • Episode 4: *Who owned the truck* • Episode 5: *How did it meet its demise* • Episode 6 (finale): *Why didn’t it float*

FYI: Cars had both cranks and electric starters from 1912 (practically speaking) till well into the 30’s (and many beyond). It does look like a Model T frame, but the design was copied by many, and for good reason.

I guess this is also how we discovered the difference between *a BOAT* & *a TRUCK* 🤔😆

Looks like a 1917’ish Ford model TT to me (fords first pickup truck). I hope to see them release more of the episode.

OOOh, I love this kind of exploration/discovery. Thanks much for making the video, looked like fun.

The vehicle's a Fort |Model T - or possibly a TT (built as a truck, rather than a conversion from a car.) With the arrangement of transverse springing, axle radius rods and other details it can't be anything else.

If someone spent a couple hours at a Detroit library looking at their old news paper catalog, you could solve the mystery.

Where's the rest of the story? I want to see it! I'm guessing it was a rum runner on the ice and they ditched it to avoid arrest.

Used to be a lot of rum running across the detroit river back in the day.. I believe there are(or there were) photos in the Vic Tavern of vehicles driving on the ice!

😇💜 What an AMAZING and COOL find.🤗💜 Thank YOU for sharing this adventure with us.🤗💜💜💜

“They’ll be able to buff this out no problem”

Ford Model TT (1917 to 1926) ??? … 🧐🤨.

Literally amazing

Fantastic hobby you have. I personally don't think I would want to do it myself, but amazing to be able to find all that cool stuff.

This is so cool! Wow! Thanks for doing all this. ❤. Is there a part 2? I need more info! I feel like this is a cliff hanger. There is so much more to know. Please send links if there is more filmed about this. I need episode 2 stat.

So inspiring. 🎉❤❤❤

That’s it?!! 😮

Great story and video. Thanks for letting all know more of what is at the bottom of the river.

I know where an old car is in the river as well. I think that national geographic should make a special about the dangerous rebar and cement from hastily demolished bridges!

Cool graphics and it's awesome to see that like buried pirates treasure

Surely some museum or historical society has pulled it out. Maybe this guy did. Surely Nat Geo wouldn't do this little without a better ending.

Awesome 😎 more please.... thanks

The water is that clear in the Detroit river.amazing

Definitely a '20 something Model T truck with homebuilt auxiliary springs on the rear to handle more weight. A stock model T only had one cross spring in the rear.

Well at least the Detroit River looks like it's in pretty good shape. I'm more impressed with that than the vehicle being found. 🤔

Wheres the rest of the story???

It's so exciting watching vids like this,I absolutely adore that fire in people that explore,discover and research to find the origin of things!!I've stood on the shores of the Atlantic and just gazed out and always thought to myself in awe like"I bet their are like "trillions " of pieces of history under that water"(I can only imagine standing by the SEA!WHEW!!llol..thanks for this vid,TRULLY makes life better and more delightfully fascinating ❤️😁🤗🥰🌄

Wow😮 Wht A Great Find!!👍🏾

Question : Why do divers always fall backwards out of the boat ? Answer: Because if they fall forward they will still be in the boat. ( south Florida )

Wow I think it's incredible that anyone would dive in that river, the current is swift. There must be a billion fish hooks down there.

thanks rode in it with my grandpa 50 yrs ago

Wow! Exciting. Never knew people dived in the Detroit river. I remember a few years back the police (if I remember correctly)dive team found an old cannon from a ship.

Surprised it didn't start when he turned that crank...old technology seems to run forever 😅

Dad was born in 1913 in Wyandotte Mich, 10 miles S of Detroit. He told me, that bootleggers used to drive across the ice from Canada, with whiskey. Wonder if this was a bootleggers car?

Years ago, many barges floated across the River, maybe the wheels weren't blocked off. Does the river freeze over in the winter? It could have gone through the ice, for it to be upside down makes me think it rolled backwards off a barge or a ferry

That Was Great Clip this Vehicle Should be Taken Out and Stored in Museum

I live in the area. I have done many dives myself. It started when I was a kid and drag lining a hook picking up junk. Then I got into deep diving and found some cool stuff. Never saw the car but few sunken boats. Empty bottles and a some full ones. Fort Malden area has a lot neat things to find.

It's a model T Ford if anyone is actually wondering. If you really would like to see a cool story check out the Bugatti in the lake.

Very clearly and instantly recognizable as a model TT Ford.

Very Interesting

I would love to frame that wheel inside a glass frame so cool!! Wow!

So what I learned today: Trucks can't float... Ok, got it.

Looks like a model T with a flatbread on the back. First year electric starters for the T was 1919, I have a 1923 T Speedster, show winner!

Wow, That's 4 minutes and 10 seconds I'll never get back

Nice job!👍👍

My curiosity level was skyhigh seeing this title.. and it still is. My question was answered, but raised so many more questions 🤔🙄

I would have thought they could have raised the vehicle and studied it more

Amazing. More of this please

Whoa. That's super old. The unusual is out there.

Fabulous

Looks like a Ford Model TT truck. Transverse leaf springs front and back were a hallmark of a Model T and TT. Triangular arms that support the front and rear axles and allow for transverse leaf springs. The shape of the transmission right behind the engine looks exactly like the Model T and TT flywheel and magneto housing. The rear axle has the enclosed driveshaft at the top of the ring gear which is the worm gear design on the Model TT.

There's a number of them down there from the old Rumrunner days.

Years ago when winters were colder than today, Lake St Clair would freeze up and vehicles could drive onto the frozen Lake. That truck was pulling an ice fishing shed onto the pack ice probably close to the town of Belle River where ice fishing was popular, and later the ice pack broke away with truck parked on top and floated downstream to where the truck fell through the ice in the spring further down the Detroit River. Ice fishing was a popular sport on Lake St Clair many years ago with many setting up fishing sheds on the ice, the only way they got the sheds onto the Lake was pulling them with a vehicle.

Where's the rest of the video?

A starting handle. When I was young cars used to still have a starting handle even after they had electric ignition. If you had a flat battery you could still start the car.

Looks like an old delivery truck. These were used as bread and milk wagons. And frequently were used to drive over the frozen ice when they became old. As one would not wish to take a valuable new truck out where it could get lost.

I dove for 15 years in the Niagara River at Buffalo. The current was double the speed of what it was at Detroit and I know of no one who got injured from it. He claims the visibility is 5 foot. All the underwater shots have over 40 feet. this dude exaggerates. It was common for Breweries and ice housed to go out on the lake to cut ice for sale and beer production. It was most likly a truck collecting ice when a piece broke off and the truck was on a flow heading into the river, where it eventually ended rolling off into the river. It is quite common in lake Erie and the thousand island area to dive and see these vehicles like this on the bottom.

The star shaped spikes at the rear wheels suggest this truck may have tried to cross the frozen river and fell through the ice.

I'm certainly no expert but when u 1st saw the vid of the vehicle the modal T shape sprang to mind ,then I came to comments and ye could well by the sounds of it,but what an absolutely fascinating story to try a look into for,I from the UK and ye we have the history but the most likely rivers to hold such treasure (Thames etc) you really really wouldn't wanna step foot into it unfortunately due the sheer pollution we've desamated them with and continue to do so , the waters black at the best of time, such a shame and I truly admire the vast opportunity's America still has to uncover untold treasures! Happy diving!!

I have always loved Nat Geo exploration videos and this one has intrigued me. However it seems that Canadians won't be able to view this astounding "Drain the Oceans - Rise of the Mob" . Will this be available on the Canadian Discovery Plus channel?

Amazing, How old is it?

Yeah, you've piqued everyone's curiosity... Part 2?

The current is powerful in the area. I’m from the area as well. There’s a lot of stuff at the bottom of the river. My best friends uncle was a rescue diver and pulled many bodies from the river. You never know what you’ll find down there.

Que Historia mas Linda, conmovedora, lastima que ese muchacho hay tomando otro Rumbo. Me recuerda a Tedd Williams, Golden Voice

Very interesting

There's so much stuff at the bottom of the Detroit River.

This is from Season 6 episode 2 Drain the Oceans

Pretty cool actually

Best spot for walleye in that river

Casual KZfaq Viewer Discovers An Interesting Story Hidden Behind A Paywall!

Main shipping lane in Canada. Even the avroaero proto type is somewhere in lake Ontario. Lots of shipwrecks. German subs were hit in there during the war by Canadians if still the St Lawrence. Canadians know all the wrecks.

I am fairly confident i could make that truck somewhat function again.

I agree, drain the oceans, and filter the junk, every 100 years. 😢

5 seconds of actual footage, and no answers.....and no mention of where the full video is .

Ford Model TT Cool find!

Thats not a vehicle. Thats crushed hopes and dreams.

So, when do we get the rest of the story?

My grandfather smuggled Canadian whiskey over the frozen Detroit River during prohibition driving trucks accross the ice. This is probably one of those trucks.

Looks like an 1920 ice truck to cross a frozen river

Imagine all oceans have to drain

I live there and I would not mess around in that river.

1950's born & raised in Detroit and lore was the winter Detroit River ice transportation of Canadian booze (Hiram Walker) to Detroit for gangsters. Can easily see this truck transport w/ prohibition booze cracking through the ice. Speedboats were used in warmer weather....

Ford Model T. Anyone who has ever worked on one knows exactly what it is. They are like roaches, they are everywhere.

Absolutely insane !!

He is violating the First rule of safe diving! Never dive alone. Especially under these environmental circumstances. As a Diving Instructor, he is setting a terrible example to his students. I also taught, in the Seattle area. We have similar conditions. And interestingly enough it was only Instructors that dove alone! 🤯

They finally found the missing Concorde.

do i see a walleye jig hahaha

It's a rum runners booze wagon. They drove them across the ice full of booze and sometimes they broke through. There's more than one down there. Might want to mention it's illegal to dive in the Detroit River so you don't start something that could get people in trouble. Don't make it sound like it's just something you do spur of the moment either. You have to file the right paperwork with the right people and wait for permission.

How many knots is the current where this video was shot?