In January, a man’s Buick fell through the ice on East Metro Lake in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The driver, according to neighbor Steve Shain, drove “too close to the pressure ridge,” causing it to call through and become stuck. He said it wasn’t the first vehicle this winter to fall through.

However, the first car was able to be plucked from the lake’s icy clutches fairly easily. For the Buick, its location presented some unique challenges. The owner left the Buick in the water for a month, prompting the city to give the owner a strict deadline to remove it. If it wasn’t removed, the owner would face thousands in fines.

The owner, opting to remain anonymous, never called a towing company due to financial distress.

“Unfortunately, with this particular person, finances were an issue,” Corey Albertson, an employee with American Towing and Recovery, told KARE. “Emotionally, this was taxing to him. He wanted to get the vehicle up—but unfortunately, he just didn’t have the resources to do it.”

Two towing companies combined forces

Albertson said he’s fished 13 cars out of the last so far, but this one was different due to the man’s financial situation. To help him out, Albertson contacted the owner of Bruce’s Legacy, Keith Cormican, a towing company from Wisconsin.

The two utilized one other’s resources to pull the Buick from the lake—at no cost to the owner.

“We team up every once in a while because I’ve got some equipment that he may not have to be able to do jobs like this one out here,” said Cormican. “We decided just to do it because no one has been able to come out and get it done for him.”

With both towing companies working together, the Buick was out of the water in just a few hours.

The Buick was a total loss—but at least the owner won’t face fines

Both Cormican and Albertson were happy the man wouldn’t face fines from the city.

“It’s good to help people out sometimes,” said Albertson.

However, soaking in ice-cold water for a month didn’t do the Buick any favors. His insurance declared it a total loss. So, it’s been taken to a scrapyard.

Viewers applauded their efforts

Viewers were moved by the two men’s actions—especially since they weren’t paid a penny for their work.

“It doesn’t take much to be nice,” one viewer wrote. “Great job, guys.”

Another felt pride about their home state after watching it.

“This it the Minnesota I grew up with and know and love,” they wrote. “I can only pray that this is what we come back to. Thank you to these kind souls for restoring hope.”

Someone else wrote that the news coverage was great for the companies, too.

“Win-win for everyone! Tow companies get some good advertising, and the owner got the car out for free!”