A WDJT-TV (Channel 58) engineer told Muskego police that the loss of the live transmitting van that broke through an iced-over channel on Big Muskego Lake would be up to $250,000.
Crews chipped away ice Monday from the submerged news van, which broke into the channel while the station was preparing a segment on ice safety.
Chief Engineer Dan Dyer said Monday the station will not comment on the incident, but the station issued a statement on its Web site.
Dyer estimated the loss of the live transmitting van to be between $200,000 and $250,000, according to police.
Kem Water Recovery of Muskego dug out a 7-foot wide and 150-yard long trench so a large tow truck could drag the 5,000-pound van back out of the water.
The van went into the channel at about 4:15 p.m., Sunday but the sub-zero temperatures overnight caused the water to freeze around and inside the van, making the job more difficult.
The driver, Susan Wronsky, 27, told police that she thought she was still on the road when the ice gave way and the van went down into five feet of water and muck, Lt. John LaTour said. She passed the pier and boat launch off of Durham Drive and traveled 150 yards on the channel. She escaped without injury.
