When we arrived we found somewhere safe to park while we decided if we could help without risking any of our own vehicles ! |
Whilst some of us were sunning ourselves at the camp site I got a phone call from Graeme. It seemed that Graeme and John had gone down to the bay for some fish and chips and spotted a transit stranded on the beach with the tide coming in.
A tractor attempting a recovery had broken a track rod and reappeared from the sea with front wheels pointing in different directions. A 110 had attempted the recovery and got bogged down in the sand and was then recovered by a second tractor. This tractor then attempted to recover the transit but couldn't shift it as it couldn't get a grip in the soft sand.
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By the time we got the call and got down to the beach a winch equipped Mitsubishi had joined the recovery attempt but soon had to give in after suffering severe mechanical difficulties.
Judging from the noises it was making as it was being towed away, it appeared to have a major gearbox problem.
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Matthew pulls the Mitsubishi to safety. |
The Fire Brigade arrive. |
After arriving en-masse and assessing the situation we decided we could have a go at recovering the transit with my winch, using Matthew in the 110 as an anchor vehicle. The recovery could then be attempted from the solid rock outcrop that came within 40 feet of the stranded motor and at the time was only under a few inches of water. Other members acted as spotters to monitor the water level and make sure our exit wasn't cut off by the tide. |
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We spooled the winch rope out to the van and it was connected to the back axle by those in the water, meantime Matthew set about pulling the Mitsubishi to safety as it could no longer move under it's own steam. While I waited for Matthew the local fire brigade arrived with a winch equipped fire engine.
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The remaining tractor couldn't get a grip on the soft sand. |
After consulting with the fire officers we agreed to recover the Mitsubishi and, much to my relief with the tide coming in rapidly, agreed that I should disconnect from the transit and pull back to the slipway. After some persuasion we managed to get the people in the water to disconnect my rope and we left the fire brigade to it !
We'll never know if, with Matthew acting as an anchor, we could have freed the van with the winch and pulled it to safety.
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The fire Brigade managed to turn the van so that it could be pulled up the beach in a better direction but unfortunately they were eventually beaten by the tide and the van had to be left to the sea.
The van was eventually recovered the following day at low tide. We had a wonderful view of the van being towed up the sand from the trials site on Sunday. The van was nearly new and owned by a local fisherman who apparently is now considering a 110 as a replacement !
By Dave White
Pictures by Ron Willsher
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Abandoned to it's fate.
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