SURRY, Maine — An Orland man narrowly escaped hypothermia Friday after accidentally driving his car into Patten Pond.
Lucas Wardell, 18, mistook calm water for a parking lot while driving around noon in unfamiliar terrain on North Bend Road in Surry, said Maine State Police Trooper Cliff Peterson. The accident left Wardell’s ‘08 Honda CR-V submerged in the pond.
Reached for comment Friday afternoon, Wardell said the only thing hurt was his pride: “It’s kind of embarrassing,” he said in a phone interview. “I knew pretty quickly that I was going to be fine, but at that point, I was just upset about the car. It was my parents’, which made it even worse.”
Wardell, a civil engineering student at the University of Maine, said that the semi-frozen pond looked like a blacktop parking lot covered in a little snow. He said he didn’t realize he was driving near water at all, until it was too late.
“When I hit the water, I was like, ‘Oh, no,’” he said. “I tried to put it in reverse, but by then, the back wheels were in the water, and I couldn’t move.”
Wardell quickly rolled down his window — he said he remembered hearing somewhere that it can be nearly impossible to open a submerged car’s door. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and climbed to the roof.
Quick thinking led to what for many would have been a counterintuitive decision in Friday’s cold, drizzly weather: Wardell said he stripped off his pants and jacket and threw them ashore.
“At that point, I thought I might have to walk to go get somebody, and I didn’t want to be soaked,” he said.
With a dry layer of clothing waiting for him, he jumped from the car and swam, then walked, through the water, about 15 feet to shore, he guessed. He held his cell phone above the waterline, and called his parents for help once he had dry clothes on again.
A nearby resident saw the vehicle in the water and called 911, Wardell said. Police, and Wardell’s dad, arrived shortly thereafter.
Peterson said Wardell’s quick thinking prevented him from contracting hypothermia.
As for the vehicle, local game warden Phil Richter donned a diving suit to help a tow truck hitch a chain to the Honda’s undercarriage.
Peterson said the vehicle would likely be a total loss. Wardell said his parents were just happy he was safe.
“It was really dumb on my part,” he said. “I guess I just wasn’t paying close-enough attention.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
really?
Doh!!
Amazing, Luke! I remember you from the old days at Orland School and I am so grateful that you had a clear head and were able to stay calm and make it out ok.
Texting ?
No texting was involved, although I could see how you might consider that possibility with all the stories in the news today about texting
huh?
Who is this dumb?
Suspend his license until he learns to drive. Obviously he has recognition problems.
I wonder what other stupid mistakes he’s made that we don’t know about. I know most parking lots have boat ramps into the water.
Gee being your so perfect it must be lonely there at the bottom…..
Just how many people do you know who have driven into a pond? You make it seem like it’s a common occurrence. And it’s “you’re”, by the way, because I’m perfect. Lots of us down here.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Mistaking water for parking lot, Orland man drives into Patten Pond
Is there a sign that says boat ramp? Pond ahead ? where he drove in?
No I don’t know anyone whose driven into a pond by mistake (Meaning not on purpose) But I have heard of many who drove out on thin ice and went in and knew they were on thin ice. I’ve heard of people walking and snowmobiling on ice who went in.
Do we need a sign for everything? Caution-tree ahead.
You say they knew they were on thin ice. Why didn’t they turn around? But this isn’t about thin ice. This is mistaking a body of water for a parking lot.
Well I can’t argue that because there is signs for about everything and no one seems to be able to read and understand them, like the big yield signs.
I put this with things like people running into glass walls when they are a foot or two away from the door.
I would have anticipated alcohol problems.
highly doubt insurance will cover this… this is why kids should drive ol 96′ beaters instead of new 08 whatevers
my old man would absolutely kill me if I did this!
Glad to hear the dude is ok.
If the car has full coverage, there is no reason for the insurance not to pay. There is even a commercial showing the same thing. I’m sure it’s not just liberty mutual that will cover these accidents.
they paved Patten Pond paradise and put up a parking lot
no business driving at all..
If that’s the case then most people wouldn’t be driving today. Also, show me one civil engineer with any common sense. I’m not trying to be mean but, if they’re brain isn’t getting information from a book, it just isn’t getting it. I think Wardell is going to make a great civil engineer. Seriously.
He was probably on bath salts….just sayin’
I can’t comprehend how someone could drive into the water and not realize it until it was too late in the middle of the day. I could understand if it was at night or dense fog, but noon on a Friday, gotta be pretty oblivious to let that happen.
It looked like dusk all day Friday. Not much light at all.
Here’s a quote from the article above. “Wardell, a civil engineering student at the University of Maine, said
that the semi-frozen pond looked like a blacktop parking lot covered in a
little snow. He said he didn’t realize he was driving near water at
all, until it was too late.”
I know the difference between a skim layer of snow on a pond and the tar, as do most of us I would surmise. Be a little bit of a weird shaped parking lot to.
I’d say he is educated beyond his intelligence. Sheeesh!
Those engineering types don’t think right anyway
Some people are smart, doesnt mean they have common sense..LOL
Man, some really mean comments from people who might just have reading comprehension problems. I needed more negs on this one than ever before.
Calm down the, try not to lose any sleep tonight..
While it’s an embarrassing story, it is one with a happy ending. I’m glad he kept a level head, and was able to get out of the car and to shore safely!
Must be a doobie brother.
Wardell, a civil engineering student , please pick another field of study..
think of the dumbest thing you’ve ever done and this probably doesn’t rise to that level.
Lucas, you only get to do anything this stupid once.
No, no, the Evil Flub didn’t pitch his car into the pond, nope.
Ban all ponds!
Hello everyone, I am Lucas, the subject of this article and I would just like to say I respect your opinions, however I believe some of you should reconsider your thoughts. It only takes one second of inattention for something like this to happen, and while, yes, this was by far the stupidest thing I have ever done, I am still a capable driver, and I have never before had an accident or even a ticket. Also I will not be changing my field of study and I happen to know many civil engineers who are both intellectuals and have great common sense. I plan to be one of them.
P.S. before you comment I would suggest, that in order to keep an intelligent discussion, please read the above rules….Thanks
I’m always amazed, when I read the comment streams for articles like this one, how many perfect people there are in this newspaper’s catchment area.