THREE vehicles have been submrged in just 24 hours on Brean beach this weekend as high Spring tides catch out drivers, prompting a fresh safety warning.
Coastguards from Burnham-On-Sea and Weston, plus crews from BARB Search & Rescue and Weston RNLI, were called to the beach besides Brean Down on Saturday after the trio of vehicles succombed to the exceptionally high tide.
An Audi A5, pictured above, was completely submerged on Saturday evening at 7.30pm next to Brean Down where the vehicle was only partially visible poking out of the sea. The owner, from Barton Hill in Bristol, said: “We went up onto Brean Down for an evening walk and were unaware the tide could reach the car – it’s come as a shock.”
A BMW 323, pictured above, could also not be saved in time before the tide reached it near the slipway onto Brean beach at 7.30pm. Its owner, who is visiting the area from Berlin in Germany, said there were no visible warning signs other than that the car park was to close at 8pm. She added: “It’s a company car and I’m due to drive back to Germany on Monday so I don’t know what I will do.”
A third vehicle, a Honda 4×4, pictured above, got stuck in mud and was swamped by the incoming tide on Friday evening. The driver, a Polish-speaker from London, said he was unaware of the dangers.
The crew of BARB’s Light Of Elizabeth hovercraft, pictured below, and Burnham Coastguards worked together during Saturday to pull the vehicle out of the mud. During a four-hour operation, the vehicle was freed and was taken away by the owner, who also made a donation to the rescue service for its help.
A Burnham Coastguard spokesman told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We would urge anyone using local beaches this week during the high Spring tides to check the tide times. Speak with the beach warden if you have any questions before leaving your car. Also, always heed the warning signs and stay away from the muddy areas of the beach to ensure you do not put yourself into any potential difficulty.”
The Weston lifeboat crews inspecting one of the two cars at Brean on Saturday evening to check no-one was in any difficulty.
A shocked beach walker watched as the BMW became surrounded by the rapidly incoming tide
A crowd of holidaymakers and residents watched the incidents unfold from the dunes and sea wall in Brean
The Honda was finally hauled from the mud and its interior was coated in mud and wet sand after spending many hours under the sea.
RELATED LINK:
Tide times for Burnham-On-Sea and Brean
