Published: September 1, 2015
4×4 driver rescued from sea at Brean blames sat nav for getting stuck
The driver of this 4×4 blamed his Sat Nav system for getting stuck on Brean beach yesterday evening (Monday), prompting a rescue operation.
Beachwarden Kevin Williams raised the alarm after seeing the Land Rover Freelander get into difficulty when it was driven half a mile down the beach into the mud.
Monday’s extremely high tide quickly surrounded the vehicle and, with sea water lapping up the sides, a nearby farmer was called to tow it to safety.
The beachwarden told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The driver, from Gloucester, said his Sat Nav system had guided him there, but he didn’t tell us where he was trying to drive to.”
“With the tide coming in so far, he was lucky that we managed to get him before the vehicle would have been submerged.”
The 4×4 was pulled out by local farmer Richard Bigwood using a tractor and secure towing ropes.
High tides over the past few days in the Bristol Channel have caught several people out. A couple were cut-off in Burnham on Saturday evening near Allandale Road, and on Sunday a walker also became disorientated by the high tide at Berrow and needed the help of Coastguards and the RNLI, as reported here.
Burnham Coastguard Officer Dave Welland told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We are seeing some very high tides this week. It’s easy to get into trouble, so we recommend beach users check the tide times to stay safe.”
On Tuesday, the high tides will occur at 9.26am (11.8m) and 9.46pm (12m).
The scenes on Brean Beach on Bank Holiday Monday evening during the incident
