Texas man arrested as police hoist his Tesla Cybertruck out of lake after he intentionally drove it in for bizarre reason
Published on May 21, 2026 at 2:47 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 21, 2026 at 2:47 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
This guy took his Tesla Cybertruck for a swim in Texas, but he’s probably regretting that now.
In theory, the Cybertruck comes with Wade Mode, which allows you to use it to go through some degree of water.
But it doesn’t make it a boat.
Still, there is a silver lining of sorts.
How Wade Mode works
Tesla’s Wade Mode, currently only available on the Cybertruck, is designed to help the vehicle cross shallow, slow-moving bodies of water like creeks or flooded roads.
It does so by raising the air suspension, and pumping air pressure into the sealed battery housing to make sure the seal holds.
The system is designed strictly for utility and off-road crossings.
In Wade Mode, you can drive for about 30 minutes, at up to 3 mph, in water that’s no deeper than 32 inches, which is roughly thigh-deep considering the average height of a person in the US.
However, this feature is not designed for fun, and Tesla makes it clear that whatever happens in Wade Mode is on the driver.
This Tesla owner in Texas found out the hard way when misusing Wade Mode landed him in jail.
The Cybertruck owner said he ‘does it all the time’
As reported by CBS Texas, a man in Grapevine, Texas – not that far from Dallas – ended up in jail after deliberately driving his truck into the water.
First responders had to remove a Tesla Cybertruck from Grapevine Lake late because the driver got stuck.
After his arrest, the man said he ‘does it all the time’.
That’s the oldest excuse in the book, and also one that never really worked for anyone.
Speaking to CBS Texas, Grapevine Police Department officer Katharina Gamboa said this ‘is a safety concern and a legal concern’.
“We wouldn’t encourage willingly driving your vehicle into the water,” she said.
“It might be the first I’ve heard of [a similar incident] here. I hope it’s not a trend. It should go without saying: don’t drive your car into the lake, please,” she added.
Still, there’s a silver lining of sorts.
No one got hurt, and the driver was charged with a misdemeanor, which means that he was able to walk home after paying a fine.
After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
