1974 Chevy Camaro Recovered from Maine Lake After 50+ Years Underwater

Law enforcement officials in Maine are investigating how a 1974 Chevrolet Camaro ended up at the bottom of Sebago Lake, located roughly an hour from Portland.

Underwater explorer Jason Smith made the discovery while searching for a snowmobile he had spotted earlier. The Camaro, identified as a Z28 model with stripes, a rear spoiler, and 15-inch wheels, was found approximately 55 feet below the surface.

Smith shared footage of the car on his Facebook page, noting its Light Gold Metallic paint job, though he did not capture the RPO codes.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office retrieved the vehicle after Smith alerted them. According to WGME, the car’s license plates were missing, the windows were open, and the trunk contained only fragments of an old tent.

Detective Keith Cook recovered a partial VIN and worked with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) to reconstruct the full sequence. The BMV continues searching for records, as the car appears to have gone unregistered for several decades. Salvage crews reported that the Z28 crumbled upon being pulled from the water due to prolonged submersion.

Smith located the Camaro near the center of the channel separating Frye Island from the mainland, sparking theories that it may have fallen off a ferry. However, ferry operators dismissed this possibility, stating that such an incident would have generated significant waves, required immediate recovery, and likely left a lasting local memory.

The most plausible explanation, according to investigators, is that the Z28 was driven onto the frozen lake in winter and broke through the ice. Authorities hope identifying the owner or a relative could help unravel the decades-old mystery.