It’s not that unusual to find a sunken vehicle in the St. Joseph River as it winds its way through South Bend, Ind. A fire department official in the city says about one a year is removed.

But the blue Buick four-door that was pulled out of about 15 feet of water last week was no ordinary find.

Just ask Annette Nichols, owner of the Morenci Dari-Ette.

That was the car she reported stolen—just 27 years ago.

She had owned the car about six months when it disappeared in July 1980. Nichols laughs about the predicament now, but it wasn’t funny at the time.