Teen Diving With A GoPro Accidentally Captures A Grim Sight

When Max Werenka woke up one summer morning in August 2019, he had no idea his world was about to be turned upside down with a simple venture out into the water with a GoPro camera.

The 13-year-old and his family lived in Revelstoke, British Columbia, a quaint town that came to life every time the warm weather rolled around. One particular spot was a crowd favorite.

Griffin Lake was one of the most happening spots in town. It was a gorgeous area with a sprawling beach for people to lounge out and soak up the summer. The Werenka family even ran a business nearby.

They rented out cabins to people who wanted to spend a little outdoor time around Griffin Lake and the surrounding nature. Max often spent his time around the water, as well, driving his boat and fishing for local catch.

One sunny summer morning, Max prepped all his fishing equipment in his boat just off shore and prepared to enjoy the next few hours, Griffin Lake style. While cruising around the water, he came a across a startling sight.

There was a massive object lying on the lake bottom he never saw during any of his trips before. As he got closer, he realized it was something that should not have been there! He sped his boat directly home.

He'd seen a car, and he told his mother about it, but she wasn't as concerned. She knew back in 2009 there was a car that crashed into the lake, but the situation was taken care of by police. Still, she wasn't sure.

So she mentioned it to a local Royal Canadian Mounted police officer the next day just in case, and he gave her some startling news. The car from the 2009 crash was dredged out of the lake! This, of course, had big implications.

It meant the vehicle Max found was from a different accident! Police swarmed the lake, hoping to find out more about the car. Max joined the officers out at the location, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see it!

Max, however, refused to let officers turn around and return at a later time. He had with him a GoPro camera, so he dove into the water and began his descent to the bottom.

At first, Max was afraid he took them to the wrong location, as he couldn't see the vehicle anywhere. But, as he got a little deeper it all came into view. Was this the missing piece to a recent crime?

Max showed the police the footage from his GoPro, and just a few hours later, they had scuba divers ready to investigate. A tow truck was parked at the edge of the water and ropes were attached to the car.

Slowly, the tow truck pulled the car from the bottom of the muddy lake and onto the grassy bank. Everyone was shocked the vehicle was never found by anyone up until that point.

After a few careful hours, the officers finally pulled the car onto shore. The metal was eroded, the front was damaged, and in the driver's seat sat the deceased owner of the car.

After a thorough examination of the body, it was determined to be a woman named Janet Farris from Mill Bay, British Columbia. Incredibly, she went missing 27 years earlier on her way to a wedding.

Police believed, in 1992, her car jumped a guardrail into Griffin Lake while she was on her way to Alberta. Her family had no idea what happened for nearly three decades.

Corporal Thomas Blakney of the Revelstoke Royal Canadian Mounted Police was thrilled with Max's discovery. "That's good detective work on his part," the officer said. Thanks to the curious teen, Janet Farris' family would get some semblance of closure.