HOW THAT JEEP ENDED UP ON MYRTLE BEACH DURING HURRICANE DORIAN

Posted by Nicole Wakelin

Hurricanes spur all kinds of crazy pictures, often of people doing less than sensible things. There’s always someone standing a bit too close to the raging surf or riding a bike down the middle of a half-flooded street. During Hurricane Dorian, the world’s attention was on a red Jeep Grand Cherokee that ended up in the surf on Myrtle Beach in the middle of the storm.

It wasn’t as though the water flooded a lot and somehow dragged a bunch of cars out to sea. No, this was a lone Jeep seen stuck in the sand, bobbing along in the waves on Myrtle Beach. It became something of a sensation with people hopping up on the roof to take pictures and generally watching its distress.

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You’d think it would have been washed out to sea, but no. This tenacious Jeep flailed along on the sand, pounded by heavy waves, but never quite freeing itself to float off into the stormy sea. One thing was clear. This abandoned Jeep was never going to be road-worthy again.

Saltwater and cars don’t mix and this poor Jeep soaked in the stuff with waves crashing over the roof. The sea took its toll and a few bits and pieces were ripped away as people watched this curiosity. The big question was how the heck did it get out there and where was its owner.

It wasn’t until later that those questions were answered. The owner of the Jeep contacted WMBF News to explain. He said he gave the keys to his cousin, who usually rides a motorcycle, so he would have something better during the bad weather.

That cousin thought it would be a swell idea to take the Jeep down to the beach to catch a video of the sunrise before the storm. He then accidentally drove into a runoff and got stuck. Although he tried to call for help and get it towed, no one was able to get to the Jeep in such bad weather conditions.

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The owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, didn’t even know about the drama until the police showed up at his place to tell him they found his car on the beach. Since then, the weather has calmed and the Jeep has been towed.

The guy is hoping it won’t be totaled, but a car that spends a day being pounded by the surf isn’t likely to be fixable. In the saddest Jeep owner quote ever, he told WMBF, “It’s probably going to end up being totaled. I didn’t want it totaled… the Jeep is an awesome Jeep.”

We’re sure it is an awesome Jeep and hope the owner can take solace in the fact it got a heck of a sendoff.