Duo's rescue bid after hire car swallowed by Brean tide (From Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News)

Duo's rescue bid after hire car swallowed by Brean tide

8:27am Monday 24th August 2009 in News By David Hemming

TWO desperate motorists put their lives in danger to try and save their car after it was swallowed up by the notorious tide at Brean on Saturday.

The men waded out into the sea when the wheels of their car became stuck in the mud on the beach at Brean Down shortly after 6pm.

Local hovercraft rescue organisation BARB scrambled its hovercraft to the scene when the pair were spotted in trouble nearly half a mile out on the mudflats as they tried to salvage the Ford Fiesta.

Brave crewman Norman Templeman paddled out into the water to check on the two men’s safety but the car was trapped and the call had come too late for it to be pulled free by BARB’s tractor.

The men, who were visiting Brean from Taunton, were forced to abandon the hire car and were taken back to dry land safe but shaken.

BARB spokesman Mark Newman told the Weekly News anyone taking matters into their own hands when a vehicle is trapped by the tide is putting their lives at risk.

He 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 that the two motorists 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 water to try and reach a vehicle - the currents in the Bristol Channel are very powerful.”

The Fiesta is the sixth vehicle to become victim to Burnham, Brean and Berrow’s beaches with wardens issuing warnings after five cars got into difficulty last week.