Beneath The Ice Where Winter Adventure Meets Real-Life Rescue

Boji Underwater Recovery Specialists Answer the Call When Vehicles Vanish Below the Ice

For most people, Winter Games in the Iowa Great Lakes mean snowmobiles, ATVs, cheering crowds and frozen-lake fun. For Boji Underwater Recovery Specialists, it means something very different: icy water, zero visibility, and a race to bring vehicles up from under the ice.

In 2024 alone, the team recovered three units on January 25 during Winter Games weekend, after vehicles broke through the ice. SUVs, ATVs, snowmobiles—when they go down, this crew goes in. “It’s always an adventure,” said owner Ben Kurpgeweit. “It’s a different type of thrill than what most people experience during Winter Games. We can be called out two or three times in a single day.”

A BUSINESS BUILT FOR THE EXTREMES

Ben and Taryn Kurpgeweit purchased Boji Underwater Recovery Specialists from the Kirschbaum family in 2021, adding underwater recovery to their existing operation, Boji Towing & Recovery. Today, their highly trained crew responds to calls across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

For the 2025–2026 ice season, the team added a critical new tool: an air boat, allowing them to safely push equipment across deteriorating ice. “Safety comes first—every time,” Taryn said. “Recovering vehicles at night doesn’t allow us to accurately evaluate ice conditions or the risks around us, and that’s not a chance we like to take.”

WHEN THE PHONE RINGS

Every ice rescue begins the same way—with a detailed call. Ben gathers critical information: insurance, liability, vehicle type, location, ice conditions, and needed equipment. Law enforcement is contacted immediately, and a plan is formed—how far out the vehicle is and how deep it’s
submerged. Then the crew gets called in. Within 30 minutes, the team is rolling out from their headquarters west of Milford.

Two crew members head out first, drilling a safe ice path and checking ice thickness and conditions. Behind them comes the rest of the team and the divers, which is led by main diver Dallas Lowry, also a member of Arnolds Park Search and Rescue. Other divers include Taryn, her brother, Brady Heithold, and Dave Nelson, who is another member of Arnolds Park Search and Rescue.

Above the ice, the rest of the crew mans four winches while Ben oversees all communications. The above crew consists of Ben Kurpgeweit, Neal Houge, Kevin Winters (Fuzz), Josh Roberts, Lynn Neid, Kyle Thompson, Mike Toliver, Mackenna Heithold and Meghan Kurpgeweit.

DIVING INTO THE UNKNOWN

Under the ice, visibility is limited—or at times nonexistent. Sonar becomes the team’s eyes, allowing them to locate submerged vehicles, determine their position, determine if an underwater rollover needs to be performed, and gauge depth before any recovery efforts begin.

Synthetic cables are carefully attached to all four points of the vehicle, allowing it to be lifted straight up without shifting or rolling.

Weather often tests the crew’s endurance. Last year, one Minnesota recovery took nearly the entire day—the vehicle was almost two miles from the only access point, with high winds and below-zero temperatures.

“These rescues are tough,” Ben said. “But our gear keeps us warm, and our heated equipment command center truck allows the crew to warm up and stay safe. Everyone wears float coats and pants, so if someone falls in, they float. Divers wear hazmat suits to protect against fuel and fluids.”

NOT JUST LAKES - RIVERS TOO

Three years ago, the team assisted law enforcement in Mondamin, Iowa with recovering a cigar boat involved in a serious Missouri river accident. “River diving is extremely dangerous,” Ben explained. “There’s often zero visibility which brings hidden dangers.”

“You can’t see anything,” Taryn added. “You’re working completely by feel and hoping there aren’t trees or debris in your path because you won’t see it until it hits you.”

THE ICE IS NEVER THE SAME TWICE

The Iowa Great Lakes bring new challenges every winter. Ice heaves form unpredictably and depth varies dramatically—even within a few feet. Areas near bridges are especially dangerous. In 2023, Boji Underwater Recovery Specialists retrieved a vehicle that went under near The Okoboji Store, after hometown hero Joe Salmon was quick on his feet and rescued the driver and his dog.

“No ice is safe ice,” Ben emphasized. “Every year forms differently. Some areas are consistently dangerous, and conditions can change fast.” Even when businesses like Kabele’s Trading Post report ice depth, conditions can shift overnight due to temperature swings, currents, air bubbles beneath the ice, water intakes, or even wintering geese.

“You can actually see erosion from underneath,” Taryn said. “Air bubbles eat away at the ice, and currents weaken it. Ice can be deceiving.”

REAL PEOPLE. REAL RESCUES.

Last year near The Waterfront, a couple went through the ice in a UTV. Spirit Lake native Kyle Petersen, who was eating at a nearby restaurant, witnessed the accident and ran nearly half a mile across the ice to save them.

When Boji Underwater Recovery Specialists arrived the next day, darkness and the size of the open water made the search more difficult. Using photos from the rescue and tips from nearby condo residents, the team was able to locate with sonar and recover the vehicle.

When diving beneath the surface, the diver remains connected to a communications line, monitored by Ben above the ice. “The diver tells us exactly how to move each winch,” Ben explained. “Everything has to come up at once.” Before surfacing, divers also scan the area to ensure nothing is left behind.

“Winter diving is technically demanding,” Taryn said. “Snow cover makes it pretty dark underneath. There isn’t much to see—but in the summer, it’s pretty cool. Fish will swim right up to you, and it’s always a treasure hunt.”

WHEN ONE RESCUE TURNS INTO TWO

No rescue is ever the same. During last year’s Winter Games, diver Brady Heithold radioed up mid-recovery: “There’s another side-by-side right next to this one.”

That vehicle hadn’t been reported. “At that point, it becomes a potential crime scene,” Ben said. “We immediately contacted the DNR and law enforcement. Then we identify the owner through the license plate to ensure no one is missing and everyone is safe.”

ALL-IN-ONE RESPONSE

Because Boji Underwater Recovery and Boji Towing & Recovery operate together, the process is seamless.

“Once the vehicle reaches shore, our towing equipment takes over,” Ben said. “Some rescues require three different companies. We do it all in-house.”

PREPARED, EXPERIENCED, AND READY

Ben and Taryn encourage everyone to plan ahead and respect the ice but reassure that their local team is always here to help and never far away.

“We’re always there if you need us,” Taryn said. Call Boji Underwater Recovery Specialists at (712) 332-1195 for assistance.