A LAND ROVER Discovery has been lost to the sea at Abersoch after becoming stranded on the resort’s Main Beach.
The vehicle, worth tens of thousands of pounds, was spotted by early morning dog walkers on the sand at the Gwynedd coastal village before being completely covered by the incoming tide at around 10:00am.
Stranded on sand
Images circulating on social media showed the 4×4 marooned on the beach, with some locals initially questioning whether the pictures were genuine.
However, witnesses later confirmed the incident, with one RIB owner reporting: “People are paddleboarding over its roof!”
It is believed the vehicle may have become stuck while being used to recover a boat trailer or jet ski.
‘Not the first’
Locals said the incident was a familiar sight at the popular seaside resort, where vehicles have previously become trapped by soft sand and fast-moving tides.
One man wrote: “Not the first and it won’t be the last.”
Another joked: “The tide comes in. Who knew?”
Others described it as the start of the “silly season”, when coastal mishaps increase as visitor numbers rise.
Expensive mistake
New Land Rover Discovery models can cost around £80,000, while Discovery Sport models start from about £55,000.
Commenters suggested the vehicle’s off-road reputation may have given the driver false confidence.
One wrote: “It probably gave him a sense of security that it can go anywhere — we all know it can’t.”
Recovery expected
As the tide began to recede, boat owners reported the outline of the vehicle starting to reappear beneath the water.
Recovery was expected to require a beach tractor, but seawater damage means the Land Rover is likely to be written off.
One local said: “Very sad to see that something went wrong. You see many cars go into the sea to retrieve boat trailers, and you know that car will be rotten very soon afterwards.
“There’s a reason why old tractors are used.”
Despite the flood of “can’t park there” jokes and “Chelsea tractor” comments online, many said they felt sorry for the owner, who now faces what one person called a “very expensive weekend.”
