On Monday morning a Tesla CyberTruck ended up underwater at the Ventura Harbor Launch Ramp while attempting to launch a jet ski.
The operation to recover the submerged vehicle drew a coordinated effort from multiple local agencies and specialized tow services.
Shortly before 11:00 am, emergency responders were alerted to the mishap which saw the driver of the CyberTruck scrambling to safety after his vehicle took an unexpected plunge into the harbor. TowBoatUS, based out of Ventura, spearheaded the recovery operation in collaboration with local authorities and specialized teams.
A TowBoatUS diver was deployed to secure the vehicle underwater, attaching cables to the CyberTruck, which had its front wheels entangled under the dock in a turned position. An additional towboat was brought in to help dislodge the electric pickup from its precarious position under the dock.
The extraction required the concerted efforts of the Ventura City Fire Department, Vessel Assist, Tow Boat US, Harbor Patrol, other Harbor resources, and the Coast Guard to ensure a safe and effective recovery. Redline Towing provided the muscle on land, pulling the CyberTruck back to the safety of the parking area, which had been cordoned off as a precaution against any potential risks posed by the vehicle’s batteries interacting with the saltwater.
A Tesla engineer was called to the scene to inspect the vehicle once it was retrieved from the water. After thorough scrutiny, the electric truck was deemed safe to be towed away without reporting any adverse incidents stemming from the battery or electrical systems.
The owner’s attempt to launch a jet ski led to this unfortunate incident, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s previous statements suggesting that the CyberTruck could function as a boat for short periods. Musk has made claims in the past regarding the buoyancy and boat-like capabilities of Tesla vehicles, stirring skepticism.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale to vehicle owners entertaining the idea of pushing the limits of their vehicles’ capabilities, especially near water bodies.
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People with extra money buy watercraft (boats, jet skis) and they have no idea how to drive with trailers and launch. It should be a mandatory training. Some people have it down but most people are absolute amateurs, A lot can go wrong as demonstrated here. If you spend anytime around a dock on a busy weekend, you will see chaos and many expensive mistakes like this.
No signs of a trailer, although the CTU-Boat does show a hitch. No snorkel may be the problem.
Didn’t see the trailer, and should have said periscope instead of snorkel.
Wait you’re joking right? EVs don’t use combustion which is why you need a snorkel on an ICE vehicle in high water.
Look at the images and you can clearly see a white trailer in the water on the ramp behind the truck. This is a classic case of cowboy wisdom that comes from a lot of bad judgement.
So, the closest thing to this is the “Boater Card” that the state of CA just rolled out a few years back. It’s now become mandatory for all ages of boaters. It’s basically an online slideshow/test deal that takes about an hour to get through. But it’s mostly centered around boating safety itself rather than anything about the actual launching/ramp process. Launching takes practice. Lots.
The cab forward look gives it a look like a Radon.
Aw man, that sucks. I saw the same thing happen years back at Cachuma. An older fellow dropped so far back down the rear end of his car floated up off the ramp. It was kind of funny at the time. No one hurt. He got towed right out.
Here come the Musk haters, many of which own Teslas themselves – classic.
Everyone’s lucky it didn’t explode before they towed it away
Wait…the guy thought he could drive it into the water and it would float???
“The owner’s attempt to launch a jet ski led to this unfortunate incident, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s previous statements suggesting that the CyberTruck could function as a boat for short periods. Musk has made claims in the past regarding the buoyancy and boat-like capabilities of Tesla vehicles, stirring skepticism.”
Maybe they were filming a remake of the 80s movie ‘Das Boot’, with the new version being ‘Doana Floata.’ Not a good look for Musk to have his Teslas burning or not floating in the news on a regular basis. “Hey buddy, it’s a Tesla, not a booooot!” Ridiculous.
BEES – good one lol ?
WOW, took a lot of effort by a lot of different agencies to tow that ugly tin can out of the water. How come none of the usuals are crying about their tax dollars being spent on this rescue?
Send a bill to the owner! Right, BASIC et al?
He pays for that tow truck all day everyday. Everyone else is just watching.
Will the owner be billed for costs since this was a conscious decision?
Definitely Elons fault
GIZMO – not definitely, but if the owner relied on Musk’s assertion that these stupid things float like boats, then maybe.
I doubt he was trying to launch his jet ski from a floating “truck” though. I’m curious how the front wheels got tangled under the dock. Did the guy panic and try driving back up the ramp underwater?
Either way, a sinking cyber truck is an apt image of our country these days, especially our economy.
Musk reported the Model S floats. Does anyone know the model of this car.
I guess Do_Lie didn’t watch the Trump infomercial from the White House.
Narcissists and their supporters have no shame.
Anon – You be right, for once, about something you wrote.
If someone drove their Model S into the water and it sank, you would be saying “Musk reported that the CyberTruck floats. Does anyone know the model of this car.”
https://www.motortrend.com/news/elon-musk-tesla-cybertruck-float-water-claim-twitter/
Absolutely! The truck owner should really think about suing him, right? Clearly he was trying to just float his cyber truck out into the harbor on purpose.
Learn the meaning of words, Doc Cousteau.
Tesla underwater in more ways than one. https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaharziv/2025/03/11/tesla-stock-plummets-50-since-december-heres-how-investors-can-manage-the-volatility/
DULL LIES – “Musk reported the Model S floats. Does anyone know the model of this car.”
Awwww how adorable! Doulie going to bat for his celeb crush! Hey guy, he also said the Cybertruck can “serve as a boat.” Do you know the model of this car?
https://www.motortrend.com/news/elon-musk-tesla-cybertruck-float-water-claim-twitter/
Vehicles getting stuck in the water while launching watercraft has been happening for a long/long/long time. There does seem to be extra satisfaction by the general public when the vehicle involved is a Tesla. Of course the owner did not think his Cyborg truck would float and was most likely thoroughly embarrassed. I do notice though that Tesla drivers are no longer proud to be cruising around in their vehicles and are avoiding eye contact (guilt is a strange thing). They are now looking straight forward at all times as they are now getting the “evil eye” from just about everyone. At some point their Tesla will fail to operate and then they’ve got to make the decision to buy another one (probably not….guilt again?) or some other brand that isn’t considered negatively.
BEES – “Of course the owner did not think his Cyborg truck would float ”
Hmmm….. so you know the person? I’m jealous. I wish I had a buddy with a jet ski!
It would be nice to have any kind of friend…a friend with a jet ski or without a jet ski.
Aw, I truly hope you do, Bees.
This is quite fantastic story. I drive my Yesla every single day and I have yet to get any abuse or “evil eye” from anyone. And the idea that Musk/Tesla will ever push a disabling command out to the global fleet is pretty laughable.
There’s a few more photos here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CyberStuck/comments/1j8crw5/cybertruck_falls_into_the_ventura_harbor_and_is/?rdt=54750
and the convo you’d expect. 😉