Jimmy Jack McDaniel, 70, wanted his neighbors’ German guests to have a story they would never forget. So he drove his Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake, Texas, while taking “Wade Mode” seriously. He had already used it in the Atlantic Ocean, after all. But this time, he said, he misjudged things and went too deep while showing off to a German father and son. The truck sputtered out. Water started pouring in. All three clambered out of the windows.
Now, McDaniel is sitting in jail.
When officers got to Katie’s Woods Park Boat Ramp that Monday night, around 8 PM, they found the Cybertruck in the water near the shoreline. The vehicle became disabled and took on water. The people got out, but the Grapevine Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team had to haul it from the lake. Nobody got hurt, which, given the circumstances, feels like a small miracle.
McDaniel thinks water probably got into the charging port, and that’s what led to the electrical failure and killed the steering. He told WFAA that he just made a bad call, not that the truck let him down.
Tesla’s own manual, though, doesn’t encourage this kind of adventure. It says Wade Mode lets the Cybertruck handle creeks and rivers, but drivers have to pay attention to water depth. Damage from water isn’t covered under warranty, and the maximum depth is about 32 inches from the tire’s bottom. It also warns that muddy or soft bottoms can leave the truck stuck or make it sink even faster.
McDaniel faces multiple charges, including driving a vehicle in a section of the park that’s closed, no boat registration, and a pile of water safety violations, including a lack of lifejackets and no fire extinguisher. As of now, he is still in the Grapevine Jail.
Grapevine Police Media Manager Katharina Gamboa said in a statement quoted by WFAA: “Don’t drive into the water with your vehicle. Didn’t think I’d have to say that one.”
Internet Reacts To Texas Man Sinking His Cybertruck in Grapevine Lake
The internet was in rare form, and the “no valid boat registration” charge became an instant focal point. “No valid boat registration is diabolical!” one person wrote. The mockery of the vehicle itself wasn’t far behind. “That thing has got to be the biggest waste of money for a vehicle ever created,” one commenter wrote, while another went after the feature by name: “Wait – so ‘Wade Mode’ is literally just ‘drive into water and hope for the best’? Tesla’s naming game is too honest.”
Some used the moment to go after the driver profile. “When I think of the type of person that buys one of those ugly *expletive* things, that is exactly the type of person I think of,” one user wrote. Others directed their frustration at Tesla itself. “Confirmed, Wade mode is a dummy mode,” one commenter wrote. “Elon to be sued for selling fake features. False advertising.”
And then there was the comment that cut against the grain entirely: “It’s crazy that men can’t even drive in the lake now, what has the world come to.”
Texas is full of Cybertruck drivers, and Grapevine Lake is one of Tesla’s biggest markets. Whether McDaniel’s stunt ends with a criminal record, a huge fine, or just an outrageous tow bill isn’t clear.
