Well, I had some jumper cables and figured they might act as electrodes if I dropped them in the lake. So I did, and what do you know! I could see the car start to recharge.
Just then a California Highway Patrolman stopped by. He saw what I was doing and he wrote me a ticket for.....
A Salton Battery.
It's a good thing you had the polarities straight or he migh also have had to ticket you for: "dis-charging into the lake"
Shalom.