Divers from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Rochester Police SCUBA squads lifted a sunken SUV from the bottom of the Genesee River today and it was towed onto shore. Before lifting the vehicle, divers confirmed the license plate read “BLUSTERY” — meaning the car belonged to the missing Perinton Couple, Bob and Mary Ross.
Sheriff Todd Baxter says they still have to confirm the missing couple is dead. That will be done by the Monroe County Medical Examiner, working with the Ross family.
Chief Deputy Michael Fowler says the investigation now shifts to identification and understanding how the SUV ended up in the river. They’ve talked with several witnesses who saw the SUV in the area of the Port of Rochester, but need to understand how it got to Charlotte.
Both men say the divers are to be commended for pulling off an extremely difficult recovery. Divers worked in extremely low visibility with murky water about 17 feet deep off the Pelican’s Nest Restaurant in Charlotte.