Cornish lifeguards lose truck in sea

PA

The lifeguards of Booby Bay in Cornwall certainly lived up to their unfortunate name when they made a big boob on the last day of the season: they sunk their own pick-up truck.

Some 100 holidaymakers watched as coastguards tried to stop the £40,000 pick-up truck being swamped by the incoming tide.

The professional life-savers, who had been ensuring the safety of swimmers all season, made a big mistake when they seemingly left it too late to return from the beach.

The stretch of wet sand which is the only access back to dry land from the beach became too treacherous as the tide came in and the coastguards were left helpless to save their truck.

According to the Daily Mail the RNLI team summoned a second rescue truck and then a tractor but by the time they got there they couldn't see enough of the vehicle to get a tow rope on board.

One onlooker said: 'There was a big crowd of us on the headland and we could not believe what we were seeing. They looked as if they had driven across to Booby's Bay for a joyride.

'It is the last weekend of their summer season and they were obviously celebrating by driving across the sands. There was nobody in any trouble and no need to go across there.

'The only way back is past a rocky outcrop and by the time they tried to do it the tide was coming in and they got stuck.

'The water came in pretty quickly and they tried everything to get it out but nothing worked. In the end the best they could do was strip off as much kit as possible before it sank.

'These are supposed to be trained lifeguards who are experts in the tides and conditions but they were messing around and made a basic mistake.