Dramatic scenes unfolded when an ice cream van was washed out to sea by an incoming tide at a popular beach in England's Cornwall. The incident occurred on July 7 around 4 pm, when the vehicle that was parked on Harlyn Bay beach was tossed by waves and drifted away from the shore, Guardian reported.
Several onlookers, including tourists, waded into the sea to try to stop the vehicle from getting washed away but they were unsuccessful. Fortunately, no one was injured as the van was unmanned at the time. The coastguard confirmed that the driver was found safe and was not in the vehicle at the time.
Videos taken by onlookers and posted on social media showed the vehicle being tossed around and floating in waves.
Watch the video here:
🎥 WATCH: The ice cream van has has since been pulled from the sea at #HarlynBay. @HMCoastguard and @RNLI teams say the driver was safe and wasn't in the vehicle
— Hits Radio Cornwall (@HitsCornwall) July 8, 2024
Credit: Richard Higman pic.twitter.com/i5YNgUNU4N
Padstow Coastguard confirmed that the vehicle was eventually pulled from the water by a recovery vehicle around 9:45 pm after the tide had subsided.
A spokesperson for Padstow Coastguard said, "Just before 5 pm yesterday HM Coastguard was made aware of an ice cream van that was caught by the tide at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall. Padstow Coastguard Rescue Team and RNLI Lifeguards were sent to ensure the safety of those involved. The owner arranged a recovery vehicle which recovered the van at around 9:45 pm when the tide receded enough for it to be safe to do so. Coastguard rescue officers left once the vehicle was recovered and in a safe location.''
A witness described the incident as ''very strange'' and likened it to a scene from an ''end of the world film.''
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