GMC Sierra Casually Rolls Into the Lake on Algae-Slick Boat Ramp, Drowns

It happened last week, during a WCIS report on a proposed project for an artificial lake on Lake Springfield in Illinois, U.S. One reporter and one cameraman were discussing the pros and cons of the project, as well as the divisive reactions it generated, while standing on the shore of the Spaulding Dam, when a GMC Sierra Denali casually rolled itself to its death.

You can see the now-viral video at the bottom of the page. As the truck is rolling out of view, Jakob Emerson, the reporter, is discussing the proposed project for an artificial lake and how the city believes it would come in handy during severe drought. Meanwhile, activists lament the damage the project would cause to wildlife. This is the moment when the cameraman seems to ask “do you think they need a ride?,” referring to the people in the back who have just witnessed their expensive pickup rolling off the boat ramp and into the lake.

It took just 25 seconds for the GMC pickup to become completely submerged, and the cameraman made sure to catch every one of it. According to Sangamon County Emergency Management Office Director Bill Lee, speaking to Fox Auto, the owner of the truck had quickly stepped out of it to untie the boat that he’d just launched to water, after towing it there.

There are reports that he hadn’t shut down the engine before he did that, but Lee notes that the incident was probably not his fault: apparently, the boat ramps in this area are plagued by slick algae, which causes an average of three such incidents a year. “Most of them have a very gradual decline, this one seems to drop off relatively quick,” Lee explained. “It's always best to park at the top of the ramp and go down and walk the ramp to identify if that thick algae is there and makes it real slick.”

The truck was eventually recovered from the water, but authorities have not offered an update on the condition it was in when brought out to solid land again. The Springfield Mayor, Jim Langfelder, says that an investigation into the incident is underway and it will determine whether changes to boat ramps need implementing, in addition to the monthly algae cleaneup.