A £120,000 Range Rover was fully submerged by the rising tide in Scarborough this weekend after the driver attempted to rescue a friend's stranded van. The luxury SUV, a high-performance Range Rover SVR, became stuck while trying to tow a Transit van from the sand, and both vehicles were eventually swallowed by the sea.
Failed rescue attempt draws crowds
Eyewitnesses reported that the driver and his companions initially tried to dig the vehicles free with a plastic spade. After multiple failed attempts, the Range Rover also became stuck. The men rejected offers of help from locals, including advice to use jet skis to pull the vehicles out.
Sammy Hellewell, 39, who filmed the incident, described the scene: '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.'
'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,' she added.
Vehicles fully submerged
Hellewell noted that the driver reversed the Range Rover into a 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.' At one point, they attempted to lift the front of the van. 'A lot of it was really stupid.'
By the evening, both vehicles were completely underwater. '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 the water,' Hellewell said.
Insurance void and recovery
Rescue workers who were waiting for the tide to recede before towing the vehicles told Hellewell that insurance for both would be void. 'They said they would be billing the parties involved,' she added. Both vehicles were eventually hauled out of the beach by diggers.
