SUV Plunges Into Greek Sea, Bathers Form Human Chain To Save It

As the Greek summer kicks off, both locals and tourists flock to the beaches to seek respite from the heat. While many were relishing the day, a group of bathers found themselves unexpectedly enlisted in a mission to retrieve a floating Skoda Karoq that had strayed into the water.

The incident took place on Friday on the island of Aegina, which is located near the Greek capital of Athens. As per the harbor authorities, the white Skoda Karoq was initially parked at the port when it unexpectedly rolled off the edge. Fortunately, no one was inside the crossover at the time of the incident.

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@maraislabonita Μια βολτα στο λιμανι της Αιγινας κανεις; #aegina #aeginaisland #islandertiktok #tiktok #car #caraccident #fun #funnyvideos #funny #summer #summer2023 ♬ Vougiouklaki…O glares – Savouidaki.m

According to Enikos, once the locals became aware of the vehicle in the water, they promptly located a boat and towed it to safer waters before it could sink. However, due to the shallow depth of the beach, the boat couldn’t transport the compact SUV all the way to the shore. It was at this point that the bathers stepped up, willingly forming a human chain and carefully pulling the Skoda out of the water.

The entire incident was captured on camera and, as expected, went viral on TikTok after being uploaded by user @maraislabonita. The video shows several individuals in their bathing suits pushing the Skoda towards the beach, while a larger group collaboratively drags it using a tow rope. Through the combined efforts of the team, the SUV was successfully brought to dry land.

So why did the SUV go for a swim in the Mediterranean Sea? The video humorously suggests that the driver forgot to use the handbrake which sounds unlikely as the Skoda Karoq comes standard with an automatic electronic handbrake. Our guess is that the SUV was a rental – most likely fitted with an automatic gearbox (DSG) – and the driver somehow forgot to put it in Park.

Local authorities said no injuries were reported, and there were no indications of damage to other vehicles or pollution as a result of the incident. We don’t know what happened to the poor Skoda, but there is hope that it can be salvaged due to the prompt actions of the kind volunteers who swiftly recovered it, preventing the entire cabin from being filled with saltwater.