05/20/2026
A 70-year-old Texas man, who might have the best name I've ever heard - Jimmy Jack McDaniel, had heard about Wade Mode.
Tesla's Cybertruck comes equipped with a feature that raises the vehicle's ride height, pressurizes the battery, and theoretically allows the truck to drive through shallow bodies of water like rivers and creeks. The maximum safe depth is 32 inches. The maximum safe speed is roughly walking pace. The manual specifically warns drivers to gauge the depth before entering, check underwater conditions, and use their best judgment.
Jimmy Jack had done this before. He told reporters he had driven the Cybertruck into the Atlantic Ocean on a previous occasion without issue. This was not his first rodeo.
On Monday night he drove to Katie's Woods boat ramp at Grapevine Lake in Texas, pointed the truck at the water, and drove in. He had two tourists from Germany with him.
The truck became disabled almost immediately and began taking on water. Jimmy Jack and his passengers abandoned the vehicle and waded to shore. The Grapevine Fire Department's water rescue team was called to pull the Cybertruck out of the lake.
When officers arrived and asked what happened, Jimmy Jack told them he drove in on purpose to test Wade Mode. He said the truck wasn't the problem. He had simply made a miscalculation about the depth.
Police charged him with operating a vehicle in a closed section of the lake. They also cited him for not having a valid boat registration. And for not having lifejackets on board. And for not having a fire extinguisher.
Texas law apparently does not distinguish between a boat and a Cybertruck once you drive one into a lake.
Jimmy Jack remains in Grapevine Jail. His truck has been recovered.
The two German tourists were not charged.
