Divers hunting for stolen car in Lacamas Lake come out with 5

When recovering stolen cars underwater, divers often also find discarded fishing poles, lures and boat anchors.

Here's what they don't usually find, but came across Tuesday: four more stolen cars.

The vehicles were recovered in 20 feet of water in Lacamas Lake by members of the Southwest Washington Organization of Rescue Divers after a boater reported seeing the tip of one car sticking out from the water.

"Expecting to only find one, we did our sweep and three hours later came out with five," said SWORD team leader Tim Woodring.

Two Acuras, two Hondas and one Chevrolet sport-utility vehicle were found within 50 feet of the boat ramp on Southeast Leadbetter Road.

After the license plates were traced, Camas police officers discovered they all had been stolen: The first was taken last February and the most recent in June, said Camas Police Sgt. Rob Skeens.

Two of them were reported stolen from Portland, while the remaining three came from Clark County. None of them had been stolen from Camas, Skeens said. The vehicles, all of which had been stripped and totaled, were impounded.

The hunt started at about 9 a.m., when divers dipped below the lake to comb for the first vehicle. To navigate in murky water with only 6 inches to a foot of visibility, divers held onto a rope connected to an onshore partner, who gave them directions on which way to look, Woodring said.

After they found the first car, divers continued combing the lake floor. One after another, divers found the other vehicles. After searching 100 square yards, a local towing company was called. Divers attached the tow truck's cable to each vehicle, and the truck hauled them out, Woodring said.

Divers had continued searching on a hunch there were others: Lacamas Lake is where divers uncovered five vehicles three years ago.

"[Lacamas Lake] has kind of become a dumping ground for cars," Skeens said.

Woodring said his team has never come across so many submerged dumped cars at once at any other site.