13 Jan #01 – VEHICLE RECOVERY – 13/01/2019
BARB’s volunteers were called out this afternoon to help a motorist whose vehicle had got stuck in mud and soft sand on Brean beach.
Our crew was called at 2.50pm when Brean’s beachwarden raised the alarm to the Coastguard Control Centre.
The VW Polo’s wheels had sunk into the soft sand and mud half a mile down the beach. While the two occupants inside were unhurt, the vehicle was stranded.
In cold, bracing winds, our volunteers attached a rope to the front of the vehicle and hauled it to safety before the tide could reach it.
The driver, who is from Bristol, thanked BARB and the beachwarden, saying: “I’ve only had the car three days, so it was a heart-stopping moment when it got stuck with the sea close by. I didn’t think we were far enough down the beach to get stuck.”
“I felt embarrassed to need rescuing, but I can’t thank the volunteers enough. They really were marvellous and I am making a generous donation to BARB to cover their time and costs.”
A BARB Search & Rescue spokesman stressed that motorists should always heed warning signs and stay at the top of the beach, keeping to the hard sand.
Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if you see someone in difficulty and they will task the appropriate rescue service to help.