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The boat launch is a stressful place for amateur boaters. A mistake could mean your truck does its best submarine impression. A Tesla Cybertruck owner learned that lesson all too well after taking Elon Musk’s claims that the Cybertruck could float like a boat. It took a team of firefighters, recovery crews, and the US Coast Guard to pull the massive EV from the water. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Cybertruck could double as a boat and a California owner took him a bit too seriously

Authorities responded to a report that a truck had reversed off of a boat ramp and into the Ventura Harbor while attempting to launch a jet ski. The driver bailed out of his vinyl-wrapped Tesla Cybertruck, but not before the angular EV pickup truck slid under the water’s surface. Perhaps the driver took Elon Musk’s claims that the hulking truck could float too seriously. 

Musk is on record claiming that the Cybertruck could perform the duties of a boat. “Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that aren’t too choppy.” I don’t know about you, but I would expect the Cybertruck to do exactly what this one did in Ventura Harbor, namely sink like a stone.

As you might imagine, the recovery effort was a long and tricky one. A Coast Guard diver had to attach tow cables to the submerged pickup truck. After that, recovery crews worked together to slowly retrieve the Cybertruck from the water ahead of the boat launch. It took around an hour and a half to recover the brute, per Safety for Citizens.  

Elon Musk wants the Cybertruck to perform a long water crossing to prove its seaworthiness

Musk is adamant the Cybertruck can do better in the drink than the sinking example at the Ventura boat launch. In fact, the CEO says he envisions a specific goal for the DeLorean-esque EV: crossing the length of saltwater between South Padre Island and the Texas SpaceX Starbase. That’s around 1,100 feet, a little over twice as long as the company’s Starship rocket system is tall.

Sure, it’s not a long crossing. But it’s certainly more arduous than the plunge into the water behind the boat launch.

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Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and Humvees. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with expertise covering everything from sports cars and electric motorcycles to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He also studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC). When he’s not working, you can find Erik on his motorcycle or out for a spirited drive.