Sea rises around car on Welsh beach as onlookers search frantically for rope

North Wales Live

3 hours ago

A driver had a close call when his car was enveloped by sea water at a notorious beach. Onlookers watched on in horror as the Ford Mondeo estate was slowly engulfed by a five-metre high tide at Traeth Ynyslas on the west Wales coast.
Some called out for the owner, others ran around trying to find towing rope. A few wondered if they ought to intervene by smashing the car's windows so it could be pushed to safety. 'A window is cheaper than a whole car,' noted one person online.
In the nick of time, the driver returned, wading out to the vehicle in the hope it would restart. To everyone's relief, the car churned up the water as it reversed rapidly to dry land.
As well as fast-rising tides, the beach is renowned for its unexploded ordnance, the legacy of the area's use as a test range for rocket-propelled explosives during and after World War II. Just a few days later, a controlled detonation was carried out by the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit. Beachgoers were again reminded not to touch any items on the beach that might look like old bombs or shells.
Both incidents have been highlighted by local people campaigning to reverse the closure of the visitor centre at Ynyslas Nature Reserve, just south of the Dyfi Estuary. On April 1 its cafes and shops were shut by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) - along with those at Coed y Brenin near Dolgellau and Bwlch Nant yr Arian in Ceredigion.
Ynyslas campaigners claim the loss of staff from the site is endangering both wildlife and the public at a site that attracts 225,000 visitors each year. Around, 100,000 vehicles-a-year park up on the beach for a £4-a-day fee. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
Following the closure, two full-time wardens were redeployed and four seasonal wardens were laid off, including Helen Heron, 56, from Borth. She said the multi-disciplinary team did much more besides serving coffee to customers. As well as managing the reserve's wildlife, they would keep a close eye on visitors to ensure their safety.
The near-loss of a car on the beach would 'never have happened' under the previous regime, she insisted. Before the wardens were moved on, and the beach's pay-to-park contract was awarded to a private operator, visitors were verbally informed of safe parking and tide times.
'We would have warned them where not to park on the beach, telling them not to drive past its 'gravel path',' she said. 'As far as I know, the new gate men are not doing that.
'The old NRW truck we used had a set of grip mats in the back. The two senior wardens, Andrea and Hannah, were trained in getting stuck vehicles away from danger.'
NRW said the cuts were needed as part of a wider restructure aiming to save £12m. Paths, trails and other facilities at the three sites have remained open and NRW said work to protect wildlife is now being overseen by land management staff.
It said visitors were "responsible for their own safety", including those of children and pets. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
In May, a report by the Senedd's Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee told NRW to come up with a 'credible plan' for the now-closed visitor centres within three months. By shutting their doors, NRW was responsible for an 'abandonment of public trust', according to committee chair Llyr Gruffydd.
In a subsequent meeting with NRW, Ynyslas campaigners were told there are no commercial plans to reopen the Ynyslas visitor centre. Instead, a 'community use' solution is being sought - unlike Coed-y-Brenin and Bwlch Nant yr Arian, where commercial operators are preferred. NRW has reiterated to North Wales Live that this remains its position.
As Ynyslas visitor centre forms part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve, it has specific statutory provisions. Not only is the area home to a protected species, the ringed plover, its beach has red-flag status due its 'dangerous' tidal currents.
No swimming or inflatables are allowed, boats cannot be launched and digging is banned in the dunes. The beach car park often floods and the presence of unexploded bombs or shells also demands extra caution.
Polly Ernest, spokesperson for Save Our Centre Ynyslas, said: 'The six wardens performed a range of functions, rotating around the site to protect the plovers, collect parking money, advise visitors and so on. Catering was just a tiny part of their work – it consisted only of a coffee machine and a few bought-in sandwiches.
'Now we have two guys sat at the gate taking parking money and issuing out-of-date leaflets. If the old wardens had still been around when the car was threatened by the tide, they would have run around and made sure they found the driver.
'In reality, they wouldn't have let it happen in the first place. They would have advised on tide times and ensured the driver didn't park where they did.
'One NRW staff member is still on site but 60% of their time is spend looking after the plovers. They can't possibly provide the same public service that the six wardens previously offered. It's an utter disaster waiting to happen.'
Beach safety signs have been erected by the RNLI and Ceredigion Council, and several life rings are available. When tides are above 4.6 metres, a large red sign is displayed warning of the times when the beach is is expected to flood – which it does 15 to 21 days each month. In a safety assessment, NRW regarded its warden-public interractions as 'critical'.
A spokesperson for the environmental body said: 'We understand how important our sites are to local communities and visitors. We want to reiterate and reassure the public that all our sites remain open. This includes the paths, trails, car parks, play areas and toilet facilities, and the important work undertaken to protect wildlife and maintain these sites continues to be overseen by our land management staff.
'Visitors to all our sites, including Ynyslas, are responsible for their own safety as well as the safety of any children and animals with them during their visit. We would like to remind visitors that the car park is on the beach, and floods during high tides. Anyone parking there does so at their own risk and that has always been the case.
'The same systems remain in place for beach safety with signage and red flags across the site and personnel on the gate to the car park handing out information via leaflets to motorists which includes safety messages. Additional signage is also in place at the car park entrance indicating if a high tide is due and for how long the car park will be flooded.'
Despite so many safety precautions, accidents can happen. Online, one man recalled how, in the 1970s, a Land Rover was caught out by Ynyslas' notorious quicksands. 'They never did get it out,' he said. 'Sunk without trace and still there somewhere.'