BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A man’s plans to take photos of his SUV by the Atlantic Ocean on a New Jersey beach didn’t turn out as planned.

The vehicle started sinking as it was buffeted by waves.

WNBC-TV reports Island Beach State Park police responded on Tuesday to a report of a vehicle stuck in the sand. A tow company arrived around the same time to find the man trying to shovel the vehicle from the surf line.

The tow company freed the vehicle, but witnesses say the man wanted to drive it, even though its engine was making strange sounds.

The driver had a permit allowing him to drive on the beach and was not ticketed.