Here's a tip for what it's worth. I normally avoid water that's too deep, but if you cross deep water and the engine starts to make weird noises kill the engine IMMEDIATELY.
Winch to the other side, pull the spark plugs, and turn the motor a little at a time with the ignition switch to push the water out of the cylinders through the plug holes.

97 Montero SR: Factory rear locker, 3.5 L 24 Valve V6, ActivTrac 4wd (Love it) , 3 way suspension, four wheel disk brakes, 32x11.50 Pirelli Scorpion ATs