A luxury Range Rover SVR worth about Rs 1.49 crore (around £120,000) was lost at Scarborough Beach in North Yorkshire, UK, after a rescue attempt went wrong and both it and a stranded van were swallowed by the sea.
The incident started when a commercial van, a Ford Transit, got stuck in wet sand near the shoreline. Instead of waiting for proper recovery help, the owner of a powerful 567-horsepower Range Rover SVR tried to pull the van out using the SUV. Even though the vehicle had sand driving features, it also quickly lost grip in the soft, wet sand and became stuck beside the van.
Eyewitnesses said the situation could have been avoided if outside advice had been accepted earlier. The combination of poor timing, risky towing, and the fast incoming tide led to both expensive vehicles being completely lost to the sea, reported NDTV.
As both vehicles sat trapped on the beach, local people at the scene tried to warn the drivers and suggested safer ways to recover them. Some even offered help using simple tools and equipment, and there were reports of jet skis being used in the area to assist.
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However, these warnings and suggestions were not followed, and the attempts to free the vehicles continued.
During this delay, the tide began to rise. The incoming sea slowly reached the stuck vehicles and started covering them. The water level kept increasing, and both the van and the Range Rover were gradually submerged. Videos from the scene showed the vehicles sinking deeper until only the tops, and later just parts like an antenna, could be seen above the water.
By night, the tide fully covered both vehicles, and they disappeared underwater. While some equipment like nearby jet skis was recovered, the vehicles themselves were not saved at that time. Recovery was expected later when the tide went out.
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