Photo: Burnham’s BARB Search & Rescue via BristolPost.co.uk
If you’re going to park your car on a beach, make sure it won’t be taken out to sea by the incoming tide. That’s the lesson one Ford Transit owner found out this weekend, the hard way.
A Ford Transit was parked on a beach near Brean, Somerset, UK, but its owner forgot to consider the incoming tide. In a matter of minutes, his car was swallowed by the sea, sparking a frenzied search for survivors.
Luckily, the man was not inside the car when it became submerged, Bristol Post reports. Authorities are using this instance to sound the alarm on the worst-case scenario, urging car owners to be aware of where and when they park their cars on local beaches.
Coastguards and Burnham’s BARB Search & Rescue responded to the call placed by a concerned citizen. They immediately started searching for occupants, not knowing whether there was anyone in the Transit when it went down. Despite all their efforts, they couldn’t bring the van back on solid ground, and called off the search when the owner showed up, safe and unharmed.
“Our volunteers were called out at 7.36pm by Coastguards to reports of a transit van stranded on Brean beach with a rapidly-incoming tide around it,” a BARB spokesman tells the publication. “BARB’s crewmembers made their way to the beach and confirmed that there were no occupants inside. Unfortunately, due to the state of the tide, the vehicle could not be safely retrieved.”
“Once it was confirmed that the owner had been located by the beach warden and was safely away from the vehicle, BARB’s crews were stood down by Coastguards,” adds the same spokesman. “A key safety message here is to always check the tide times before driving onto local beaches. Speak to the beach warden if you are unsure.”
The man is believed to have recovered his Transit the next morning, but seeing how it had been completely submerged in water, chances are he will have to total it. It might be expensive, but this was a lesson he apparently needed to learn on his own.
Luckily, the man was not inside the car when it became submerged, Bristol Post reports. Authorities are using this instance to sound the alarm on the worst-case scenario, urging car owners to be aware of where and when they park their cars on local beaches.
Coastguards and Burnham’s BARB Search & Rescue responded to the call placed by a concerned citizen. They immediately started searching for occupants, not knowing whether there was anyone in the Transit when it went down. Despite all their efforts, they couldn’t bring the van back on solid ground, and called off the search when the owner showed up, safe and unharmed.
“Our volunteers were called out at 7.36pm by Coastguards to reports of a transit van stranded on Brean beach with a rapidly-incoming tide around it,” a BARB spokesman tells the publication. “BARB’s crewmembers made their way to the beach and confirmed that there were no occupants inside. Unfortunately, due to the state of the tide, the vehicle could not be safely retrieved.”
“Once it was confirmed that the owner had been located by the beach warden and was safely away from the vehicle, BARB’s crews were stood down by Coastguards,” adds the same spokesman. “A key safety message here is to always check the tide times before driving onto local beaches. Speak to the beach warden if you are unsure.”
The man is believed to have recovered his Transit the next morning, but seeing how it had been completely submerged in water, chances are he will have to total it. It might be expensive, but this was a lesson he apparently needed to learn on his own.
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