Jeep Survives Hurricane Dorian’s Wrath at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach
Taking the ‘Trail Rated’ badge to the extreme, owner’s cousin takes Grand Cherokee to the beach, becomes social media sensation.
The ‘Trail Rated’ badge on every Jeep sold means a lot. Whether it’s a Wrangler, a Gladiator, or a Cherokee, owners know their rig can handle the toughest conditions known to humanity, from fjording streams and slinging mud, to scaling boulders and bashing deserts.
And now, we can add hurricanes to the list. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina NBC affiliate WMBF-TV was just among the many to learn of a red Grand Cherokee left on the white sands during Hurricane Dorian’s passage through the Carolinas, only to discover the story of how the Jeep got there in the first place.
“My cousin has been around, he rides a motorcycle so I thought I’d let him borrow my Jeep because the weather has been so bad,” the unidentified owner told WMBF-TV. “This morning, he thought it would be cool to go on the beach and take a quick video of the sunrise before the storm came.”
As the video from Charlotte, North Carolina NBC affiliate WCNC-TV’s live stream captured, though, the Grand Cherokee’s owner’s cousin bit off more than he could chew against the rough seas churned up by Dorian’s destructive winds.
“So he got on the beach and started driving it,” the owner said. “I guess there’s that runoff there and he didn’t realize it was in front of him, he was looking out the window when he went off and got stuck, which you can see he actually banged up the bumper a bit.”
The careless cousin called for help to tow the Grand Cherokee out of danger, but it was too dangerous to try. Unfortunately for the owner, he had to find out what happened to his rig from the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
“He avoided me for a good hour or two because he didn’t know what to say and then police actually came to the house,” the owner said. “And they said, ‘Hey we found your Jeep on the beach.’ Then I called him and spoke to him and he told me exactly what happened.”
According to local newspaper The Sun News, the Grand Cherokee was finally towed off the beach the morning of September 6, but not before it briefly became a social media darling and oddball roadside attraction.
Alas, this may have been the Grand Cherokee’s last dance with nature. As the unnamed owner told WMBF-TV, “It’s probably going to end up being totaled. I didn’t want it totaled… the Jeep is an awesome Jeep.”
May a new Grand Cherokee grace his garage soon, and may his cousin always remain a passenger in it.
Photos and videos: USA Today, WCNC-TV, The Daily Buzz/YouTube, and Myrtle Beach Police Department/The Sun News
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