There are mishaps you can just shrug off, and then there are mishaps that break your heart. This one falls in the latter category: a man's just-restored classic rolled into a lake and was fully submerged for hours.
The details on this strange incident remain hazy right now, even though some days have passed and you'd be justified to expect more clarity. On the morning of April 10, one man's recently restored classic car rolled down the boat ramp, into Canyon Lake, as he was preparing to take photos of the vehicle.
That vehicle was a maroon 1939 Packard sedan, as confirmed by the Canyon Lake Fire Department, which assisted in the recovery of the vehicle and responded with two trucks on site. It is believed that the vehicle is a loss, given that it spent hours fully submerged.
Police and firefighters were alerted by a local, who had noticed a sheen on the water's surface, as well as bubbles rising up. A diving team went under to determine whether the vehicle was occupied, by which time the owner also showed up. He told them what happened and confirmed that no one was inside the car when it went down the boat ramp.
Photo: Canyon Lake Fire Department
According to the police, citing the unnamed owner, he had just pulled up for a photo shoot when the mishap happened. The police didn't say whether the owner pulled the handbrake before or whether some other malfunction could have caused the incident.
"He was very emotional, it was like his baby," Canyon Lake Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse told the local press. As anyone else would be in his place, regardless of what share of responsibility he had in this.
LaTendresse noted that the vehicle was submerged in 20 feet (6 meters) of water almost right away after rolling down the ramp. The vehicle was pulled from the river by firefighters, and Riverside County environmental health workers would handle the clean-up operation, given the oil spillage noticed by the local.
Photo: Daily Mail
Pedro Gonzalez, the automotive curator at Carey's Fine Automobiles in San Bernardino, says for the local media that a 1939 Packard is worth between $25,000 and $40,000 depending on how much of it remained original in the restoration. Regardless, it's probably a complete loss because, as we all know, cars and water don't get along that well. Tesla might be the only exception, but not if you use it as a boat.
Packard made luxury automobiles between 1899 and 1958 and introduced truly innovative features in the auto industry at the time, including AC in a passenger car, the modern steering wheel, and one of the first production 12-cylinder engines. But to whoever this unfortunate owner is, this Packard was his pride and joy, and he will be mourning it accordingly.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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