These were the incredible scenes at Brean over the weekend when a Range Rover that has been trapped on the mudflats for almost a year was finally retrieved by salvage experts.
The vehicle was hardly recognisable after enduring 11 months in the mud. More than 600 incoming tides have badly corroded and compressed its exterior.
Burnham-On-Sea.com reported last April how the vehicle had originally got stuck. Its owners, from Weston, had foolishly ignored warning signs and driven almost a half mile out onto the mudflats when disaster struck and its wheels sank, trapping it.
But this week, Weston Recovery Services was drafted in with a fleet of vehicles to unplug the Range Rover from its muddy grave near Brean Down – as pictured here.
One eyewitness said: “A whole line of trucks was used to unplug it. I saw the tail-end of the salvage operation – it was quite remarkable to watch.”
“Many local residents say the vehicle might have posed a risk to water users over the summer, but others thought it served as a valuable reminder to tourists about the dangers.”
Recently, Brean Parish Council had considered bringing in the army to remove the vehicle in order to make the beach safe in time for this year’s tourist season.
Parish council Vice Chairman Jon Harris told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The vehicle could have been a danger to jet skiers and boat users.”
One of the other vehicles trapped in the mud nearby remains in place.
Range Rover gets that sinking feeling on Brean beach
