VIDEO: Ice cream van swept ‘quietly’ out to sea in ‘surreal moment’
A Cornish beach witnessed a dramatic rescue mission on Sunday afternoon after an ice cream van was swept out to sea.
A Kelly Whip ice cream van was dragged into the water at Harlyn Bay Beach, north of Newquay in Cornwall.
Vintage Mary, who took the images used in this article, says: “It was quite surreal. The sea came in and quietly engulfed the ice-cream van with the whole beach and surfers looking on.”
A number of by-standers rushed into the sea to attempt to rescue the vehicle after the van’s wheels became stuck in the sand.
People were waist-high in the water, trying to keep it from being taken.
It’s reported that a nearby 4×4 vehicle was called to attempt to tow the van.
The rescue attempt was unsuccessful. The rescue was eventually abandoned before the van was swept out to sea.
But, says Vintage Mary: “The van got stuck just after 4pm and was towed out by a tractor as the tide went out at just before 10pm.”
A local who witnessed the event told MailOnline: “At just after 4pm on Sunday 7th July the Kelly’s ice-cream van got stuck in the sand at the western end of the beach as the tide began to turn. A 4×4 that had a winch that was close by tried really hard to pull it free with the help of lots of surfers and other people that were on the beach.
“They managed to pull it a fair way up the beach while still surrounded by the in coming waves, before it got stuck on rocks. The tide was coming in very quickly and they were forced to abandon the ice-cream van. Shortly afterwards the coast guards arrived. They will keep watch over ice-cream van until the tide goes out and a local salvage team that are on standby can remove the ice-cream van from the beach.”
Footage from Richard Higman via Facebook shows the van being buffeted by waves with its contents swirling around inside the serving hatch.
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