INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Recovery efforts are now actively underway to remove the sunken fireworks barge from the waters offshore of Ski Beach in Incline Village. This highly technical and physically demanding salvage operation began on March 16, 2026.
Dive teams, marine crews, and agency partners are working in close coordination to locate, secure, and begin extracting debris from the lakebed, with some materials resting at depths approaching 160 feet.
From the outset, the work has been methodical. Each day begins with planning and safety briefings involving multiple agencies, followed by carefully staged operations on the water. A remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, was first deployed to locate the barge and establish precise working zones. Divers then began descending along secured lines to recover debris and assess conditions on the lakebed.
Progress is steady, but intentionally cautious. At depth, visibility quickly drops to near zero once sediment is disturbed, requiring divers to rely on training and touch to locate and rig debris. Many of the materials, particularly large firework tubes, are heavy and irregularly shaped, often requiring multiple dives to secure a single piece…