A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Texas, US, was arrested after allegedly driving his vehicle into Grapevine Lake to test the truck’s “Wade Mode” feature, according to local authorities. The incident took place on Monday night at Katie’s Woods Boat Ramp, where police and emergency responders were called after reports of a vehicle entering the water.
The bizarre parking spot
The officers who arrived at the scene around 8:00 pm local time found the Cybertruck partially submerged near the shoreline. Videos recorded by bystanders quickly spread online, including one clip in which a spectator can be heard joking, “Yo sir, you can’t park there,” while the vehicle slowly sank into the lake.
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Police said the driver intentionally drove the Cybertruck into the water to try out the wade mode; an off-road feature designed for slow movement through shallow freshwater. According to Tesla, the mode raises the suspension height to help protect the vehicle while crossing shallow water and must be activated manually by the driver.
“The vehicle became disabled and took on water. The driver and passengers abandoned the vehicle and the Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team assisted in removing it from the lake,” the Grapevine Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. The driver was arrested on charges of ‘Operation of Vehicle in Closed Section of Park/Lake’ and numerous water safety equipment violations.
ALERT: Man arrested after putting his Cybertruck in ˜Wade Mode and accidentally sinking it in a lake in Grapevine, Texas.
Officers responded to a call about a Cybertruck sunken off of Katie’s Woods Park Boat Ramp at around 8 PM.
Authorities say the driver put his Tesla in pic.twitter.com/jQ7YXk36Xk
— E X X A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) May 19, 2026
Testing the waters?’
Authorities later used a wrecker to recover the waterlogged Cybertruck from the lake. The Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team assisted in the operation alongside other officials.
“We want to remind drivers that although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law,” authorities added.
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According to reports by The Independent, the driver was identified as Jimmy Jack McDaniel. He was booked into Grapevine Jail and faces several charges, including operating a vehicle in a closed section of a park or lake, operating without valid boat registration, and multiple water safety equipment violations. McDaniel reportedly told NBC 5 that he had previously driven the Cybertruck in water, including in the Atlantic Ocean, without any issues.
Tesla’s owner’s manual advises drivers to inspect underwater conditions before entering water and warns against driving in deep or fast-moving water, noting such actions could result in vehicle damage, injuries, or worse.
