Hurricane Sandy damage: Sandy's waves collapse garage with 2 Mercedes inside in Stuart

STUART, Fla. — At a house north of Bathtub Reef Beach, the sand was washed out from under the garage, causing it to collapse.

Marshall Taschman, who for nine years has lived in the home, said about 6 a.m. Friday he heard a “bash.”

His garage had collapsed, apparently after heavy waves washed out sand underneath it.

“It’s just wonderful living here,” Taschman said.

A 2006 Mercedes and a 2013 Mercedes he’d just gotten last week were either in the ocean or “close to the ocean at least.”

A man with a tow truck walked around the garage Friday morning, apparently studying how to get the vehicles out.

Taschman said the situation could have been prevented, and was critical of two county officials who he claimed “believe in doing nothing.”

“Could have had rocks out in front, a seawall out in front, never would have had this problem,” he said.

Asked whether he thought the vehicles would be salvageable, he said, “Hoping.”

Taschman seemed in remarkably good spirits, given the situation.

“I guess I’m going to survive this one way or the other; how else can I look at it?”’ he said.

He said this is “way worse” than the twin hurricanes of 2004.