A Nissan Juke has been discovered submerged in a river by a rural beauty spot, with the owner nowhere to be seen. Locals found the car lying on the bottom of the River Avon in Warwickshire, near the hamlet of Marcliff. It has been there for around six weeks, but how the Nissan ended up on the riverbed is a mystery – the waterway is nowhere near a road, and is surrounded by woodland and fields.
Discovery and Initial Response
The car, which retails for £32,000, was spotted by a member of the public who alerted the authorities. Despite orange buoys being attached to the car as a warning to other river users, the motor remains underwater. One dogwalker said: 'There have been buoys on the water there for at least six weeks. We did not realise it at first, but there is a car trapped under there. We are not really sure how it ended up there as it is far enough away from the main tracks. We are all baffled as to what it is doing there and who actually owns it.'
Plans for Recovery
The Avon Navigation Trust (ANT), the navigation authority for the river, said it was drawing up plans to retrieve the mystery car. A spokesperson stated: 'We were made aware of a car in the river near Marlcliff Lock and as it is potentially an obstruction to boat traffic, have buoyed it and made river users aware through our communication channels. Our clearance barge is currently involved with ongoing repairs at Nafford Lock, but once she is available, we will attempt to remove it.'
Police and Previous Incidents
Warwickshire Police refused to comment on the situation, stating the incident 'does not fall under our remit.' In 2024, a BMW driver managed to escape her vehicle after crashing through a barrier and driving into a river. The SUV plunged into the River Hiz in Hitchin Town Centre, Hertfordshire, becoming almost fully submerged. In similar circumstances, a man in Norway thought his Tesla was in park mode and accidentally drove it into a freezing fjord. Thankfully, and rather unusually, he and the passenger were rescued by a floating sauna.
