These were the dramatic scenes at Brean, near Burnham-On-Sea, on Saturday evening (August 22nd) when two desperate motorists swam out to try and save their car from the fast-incoming tide, the SIXTH vehicle to get stuck on local beaches this week.
The two occupants waded out into the water in a last-ditch attempt to try and save their vehicle after its wheels became trapped in mud on the beach next to Brean Down.
Burnham-based rescue charity BARB was called to help at 6.10pm when the Ford Fiesta and its occupants were spotted in difficulty almost half a mile out on the mudflats.
BARB crewman Norman Templeman, pictured below, waded into the water to check on the safety of the two men.
However, the car was stuck fast in the mud and the call for help had come too late for it to be pulled from the sea by BARB’s tractor and volunteer crewmembers.
BARB Chairman Mark Newman said: “The safety of the car’s occupants was our top priority.”
“Once it became clear that the car could not be saved, we wanted to ensure the men were safely out of the water and not putting their lives at risk by trying to pull the car from the sea.”
“We would never recommend that people get into the sea to try and reach a vehicle – the currents in the Bristol Channel can be very powerful.”
The car’s occupants, who are from Taunton, had hired the 2008-registered vehicle for the day. They were unhurt, but shaken.
The vehicle is the sixth to get stranded on beaches in the Burnham area during this week’s high tides. Beach wardens issued a warning on Wednesday after five cars got into difficulty at Brean and Berrow.
Large crowds watched the incident unfold on the beach at Brean
The BARB tractor during Saturday night’s incident
RELATED LINKS:
Burnham-On-Sea Hovercraft Web site
