The story of the submerged car in Florida went viral on Twitter in 2019, and quickly gained traction on numerous mainstream media sites.
Moldt wasn’t the first person whose submerged car can be seen on Google Maps, either (via CBA). In November 2015, a man who was decorating a Christmas tree noticed a car containing human remains submerged in a Wyoming pond. It was later discovered that this car could be seen on Google Maps too. Using dental records, police identified Davie Niles, a 72 year old who had been missing since 2006.
Per ZMOnline, Brian Houseman, who discovered the remains, said, “All of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Whoa, there’s a car out there.’ No one could ever see it. It was murky and things moved around.” The car was removed from the water, where Niles’ remains were discovered in the driver’s seat. It was undetermined if Niles, who had been diagnosed with cancer, had died accidentally or by suicide. For Niles’ family, his discovery provided them with closure about his death.