An arrogant Range Rover SVR driver, who was reportedly rude to people who offered help to rescue his vehicle and a Ford Transit van from the beach, ended up losing his £120,000 ($157,000) SUV to the sea due to high tide.
The incident, recorded by an eyewitness, serves as a reminder of why one should not drive on a beach, even if the car has a built-in sand mode, and even if it means leaving behind a friend’s van for the sea to swallow.
The video shows the Transit van struggling to get traction on the beach, and moments later, the Range Rover is seen in a similar situation. Given the high tide, the owners of both vehicles did not have much time to act.
Eventually, all that could be seen of the two cars was their roofs and aerials once the water level had risen significantly.
Jet Skis Prompted Transit Van Driver to Go Near the Sea
According to a report by The Sun, the incident occurred on 19 June at Scarborough beach in North Yorkshire, UK. An eyewitness stated that the driver of the Transit van had reversed toward the sea for the jet skis.
Footage circulating on social media showed the sea had already reached the van’s front wheels when the Range Rover could be seen backing up to try to rescue the van.
The frame then shifted to the stuck SUV, whose driver was trying hard to get it unstuck as seawater surrounded all the wheels. He spun all four wheels hard, but that just shifted the wet sand and water underneath, causing the vehicle to sink further.
What happened next? The owners of both vehicles watched hopelessly as their vehicles gradually disappeared beneath the water. 39-year-old eyewitness Sammy Hellewell said that a local offered to help, but he was turned away:
“We were heading to a local restaurant on the corner of that area and we saw them having difficulties with the van.
“One of the guys was trying to dig the front wheels out with a spade.
“Then the Range Rover came on with the idea to pull the van out. Which obviously didn’t go very well.
“Some local people did go down and give them some advice to try and use the jet skis to get it out of the sand, but they were quite rude to him and gave him the impression that they knew what they were doing and told them to leave them alone.
“They had the jet skis attached to the van to begin with which definitely didn’t help with the towing.”
Eyewitness Describes the Act as Stupid
Hellewell said she recorded the silly incident for her father-in-law:
“It was absolutely stupid, that’s why I recorded it.
“I filmed it for my father-in-law, I thought he would find it hilarious with how silly they were being trying to get these cars free.
“The driver had clearly reversed it in for the jet ski and got stuck.
“The Range Rover was fully mobile and then the back wheels started to sink while they weren’t paying attention. I think they were a group together.
“They got both jet skis off the beach but lost both vehicles.
“At points they were trying to lift the front of the van. A lot of it was really stupid.
“By the end they were fully submerged. We left the scene after a couple of hours.
“The last time we headed off home at 10.30 in the evening they were completely submerged, you could just see the aerial of the van sticking out of the water.”
Drivers Could Run Into Insurance Problems
Rescue workers reportedly told Hellewell that the drivers could face issues with their insurance coverage, although any decision would ultimately rest with the insurers. She said:
“We were chatting to some rescue workers and they said they were waiting for low tide and each vehicle would be towed out.
“They said the chaps’ insurance would be void and they said they would be billing the parties involved.”
The report by The Sun confirmed that both vehicles were removed from the beach by diggers. Would you risk taking your SUV on the beach?
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