Soggy ending to beach outing. The perils of taking your camper to the seaside.

[Stoneybroke]

Gutted for this lady, but a foreseeable outcome?

Dramatic moment VW campervan is swamped by tide during photoshoot

Cheshire businesswoman Kitty Orme is appealing for help to save beloved van 'Birdie'

www.cheshire-live.co.uk

 

[subthree]

Tides are so unpredictable

 

[vananarama]

Gutted for this lady, but a foreseeable outcome?

Dramatic moment VW campervan is swamped by tide during photoshoot

Cheshire businesswoman Kitty Orme is appealing for help to save beloved van 'Birdie'

www.cheshire-live.co.uk

Poor lady. The perils of parking on beaches when you’re ignorant of the tides. There aren’t many beaches in Wales that I know of that you can reach or legally access by vehicle. In NW Ireland I’ve done it a few times, mainly to take photos, but am paranoid of becoming stuck out in the wilds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wesel]

They started on the Coast,
then went to the Beach
and ended up in the Ocean....

 

[sidepod]

They started on the Coast,
then went to the Beach
and ended up in the Ocean....

Genius

 

[Calimili]

4motion vs Fwd debate anyone?

 

[Duxdeluxe]

Black rock sands the only place I know in the uk where you can get run over going for a swim, but I do love it there

 

[Ch1pbutty]

4motion vs Fwd debate anyone?

Tide table would be far cheaper & common sense is Free... sometimes in short supply though!

 

[Saesneg Shaun]

Poor Lady. She must have been so upset having to watch it ruined.

Its not like we've all never made mistakes

 

[GrannyJen]

Tide table would be far cheaper & common sense is Free... sometimes in short supply though!

Apparently they were well aware of the tides but the problem was the camper getting stuck in the sand and the steering wheel locking up.

Probably a sad accident that has cost someone their livelihood and some irreplaceable possessions.

 

[andyinluton]

Seemed a bit silly the landrover trying to pull the transporter still towing the trailer with the van on it. Could probably saved one of them.

 

[OGII]

They started on the Coast,
then went to the Beach
and ended up in the Ocean....

Nope. They both started off and ended up in a bay.

 

[Wildcamper]

Never take a vehicle onto a beach!

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Apparently they were well aware of the tides but the problem was the camper getting stuck in the sand and the steering wheel locking up.

Probably a sad accident that has cost someone their livelihood and some irreplaceable possessions.

True, but at no point in the article did she take the opportunity to thank those who were involved the assistance (ie - Porthmadog Harbour Master + the Coastguard Rescue Team etc). Hopefully it didn't cause any pollution to this lovely bit of coastline.

 

[GrannyJen]

True, but at no point in the article did she take the opportunity to thank those who were involved the assistance (ie - Porthmadog Harbour Master + the Coastguard Rescue Team etc). Hopefully it didn't cause any pollution to this lovely bit of coastline.

I read that she had and indeed part of her crowdfunding was to make a donation to the coastguard.

This is an excerpt from that page:

"
"We are devastated enough, nevermind having to read negative & upsetting posts from a few keyboard warriors.

BIRDIE Camper van Photo Booth is the name of our award winning company & is named after our very first, fully restored VW – BIRDIE - hence the name of the company.

We now provide a range of bespoke VW Camper vans & other related props & services for weddings and parties.

Our fleet of two VW camper vans - BIRDIE and PIXIE - both photo booths, Herbie Beetle (used to raise over £3,000 for our local hospital during the Corona pandemic), Flossie, Babs, Betty & Bonnie

Whilst taking part in a 1970’s beach themed photo shoot in Wales to promote ours & other businesses for future weddings, ‘BIRDIE ‘ got stuck in the sand & engulfed by the sea along with our transporter & trailer.

All rules were followed including social distancing, risk assessment & tidal times.

Whilst moving to another site before the tide came in, ‘ BIRDIE’s ‘ steering wheel locked, yet we were able to eventually load her onto the trailer. By this time another colleague helping us had become trapped in the sand and we used our tie down straps to help. She managed to get to safety but we ran out of time & the tide came in.

As a result both our vehicles were trapped as the tide rose above them, the camper (not strapped down as the straps had broken rescuing others) slipped off the trailer and bobbed against the rocks

Bespoke items, some made & provided by our industry colleagues & friends we submerged in water and some floated away and equipment and tools we use for the ‘BIRDIE’ business were destroyed

With help from the Coastguards & Maritime professionals both vehicles were eventually recovered from the sea six hours later.

As no doubt you can imagine, it was devastating to witness our beloved camper & transporter being engulfed by water.

We set up a Crowdfunding page, as we’ve had no income for the last 7 months, to help us donate to the Coastguard & repay/replace the many items supplied by our colleagues, some of which were damaged beyond repair."

 

[GrannyJen]

I consider myself pretty "safety-savvy" having climbed in some of the most remote places on Earth and been part of a mountain rescue team for many years. However it nearly happened to me and Albert, my first Cali.

We were on the Lleyn peninsular, I wanted to visit my niece who was on holiday there, the directions I was given were pretty ropey and I found myself going down a very steep tarmac track that got narrower as we went on with some quite sharp bends in it.

Once committed I had no choice as there was no where to turn round and reversing would have been problematic. I eventually run out on to a slipway. I could take the beach, or I could try to turn round. A check on foot and I decided that even 4 motion would struggle on that beach. However to turn round was most problematic. In the end realisation that the tide was coming in and it would probably cover the slipway made my mind up for me. A many multi-point turn later, and lots of jumping out to see if I could get even an inch or two more of turn before wedging against rocks/walls, I eventually managed to turn about and get out of there but not before my nerves were hopelessly jangled.

 

[OGII]

This is an excerpt from that page

All rules were followed including social distancing, risk assessment & tidal times.

I may come across as a little unsympathetic but it wasn't much of a risk assessment if they didn't factor in sufficient time to sort mechanical failure on a circa 50 year old vehicle/ or tow vehicle or trailer or the risk of getting stuck in soft sand with a heavy load/ unsuitable tow vehicle before the tide turned. Pulling a VW bus on a trailer on soft sand needs more than a panel van on road tyres.

I don't know the location or why a spot below high water mark was chosen but it all sounds a tad naive and convenient for the crowd funding appeal to me.

Any of us who have lived in coastal towns have seen this kind of thing far too often and apparently all the warning signs are there to be ignored as they don't apply to visitors.

It is interesting though that social media now allows kind folk to help via crowd funding. Maybe we could do away with insurances?

 

[westfalia]

Crowdfunding, Lol.

Anyone who drives a Type 2 onto a beach like that deserves all that
they get.
I would've been happy to film some close ups but i probably couldn't
have helped them cos i would've been laughing too much.

D1cks.

 

[Ting Tong]

a bay after all....and she ended up sh** creek after the tide turned.

Apparently she'd crowd funded it when she bought the bay as a rotten shell in the first place ... and it still was just a shell with no engine. Poor lady but we can’t all rely on crowd funding and sympathy instead of a business loan / savings and decent insurance.

 

[Karlos]

oops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Duxdeluxe]

Am I missing something here, Birdie in the pic with the owner is a pop top, Birdie going for a swim isn’t a pop top ?

 

[OGII]

Am I missing something here, Birdie in the pic with the owner is a pop top, Birdie going for a swim isn’t a pop top ?

Maybe we are crowd funding the pop next?

 

[Drpps]

The article/reply mentions she has another bay - Pixie - plus a beetle. It’s very sad but a precautionary tale.

 

[willwander]

I'd really like a new one

California Ocean, organized by Will Wander

My current California is nearly a year old. I'd really like a new one.… Will Wander needs your support for California Ocean

www.gofundme.com

 

[OGII]

I'd really like a new one

California Ocean, organized by Will Wander

My current California is nearly a year old. I'd really like a new one.… Will Wander needs your support for California Ocean

www.gofundme.com

Loving your justification. Maybe strengthen your argument saying carpet has some sand on it? That the fuel tank is now empty?