Devon County Show car park chaos as tractors rescue stricken vehicles from the mud

Maxine Denton

18 May 2024 at 2:51 pm·3-min read

Cars had to be rescued from mud by tractors at the Devon County Show -Credit:Submitted

Cars have had to be rescued by tractors at the Devon County Show today after becoming stuck in the mud. Organisers said they were working to get visitors off the showground as quickly and safely as possible at the end of the event today (May 18), despite the conditions of the ground and weather.

They said extra people, towing eyes, and tractors would be dispatched to each car park to help. A statement from Devon County Show which was posted on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this evening said: "We are doing everything we can to get visitors off the showground in their cars quickly and safely, despite the challenging ground and weather.

"We have despatched extra people, more towing eyes and tractors to each car park. Thank you for your patience as we work through this."

A38 closed in Devon and standstill traffic after vehicle overturns

One visitor whose car became stuck in the mud while trying to leave shared a picture of his vehicle covered in mud after teams attempted to tow it out. He said the vehicle which attempted to rescue them had also become stuck before a tractor arrived to help half an hour later.

The visitor told DevonLive: "After about 10 minutes someone passing in a 4x4 tried to tow us. But they got stuck too - hence the mud cover as they tried to leave themselves. Someone in a tractor was doing great work towing people and took about 30 minutes to get to us. Then smooth sailing with a bit of queuing on the way out. Well organised rescue!"

About 100,000 visitors are expected to attend the Devon County Show over the course of three days. The highly anticipated event is holding its 128th show at Westpoint Arena and Showground in Clyst St Mary, near Exeter this weekend.

⚠️ Want the latest Devon breaking news and top stories first? Click here to join our WhatsApp group. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice ⚠️

However, a mixture of heavy rainfall and traffic on the roads has caused some chaos in the area today (May 18). Frustrated motorists have been contacting DevonLive reporting major issues on the road network.

The M5 was reported to be 'absolutely rammed' earlier today and routes out to and beyond Exeter Services were said to be at a 'complete standstill'. 'No cars (had been moving) for at least an hour and a half,' one driver said.

Another motorist reported that the A379 was 'crawling' only and there was gridlock at the Devon Hotel roundabout as visitors came in from all directions for the action-packed attraction, which started in the week.

A yellow Met Office warning for thunderstorms has been in force over Devon today, with some areas experiencing flash flooding. Yealmpton near Plymouth was badly affected, with pictures showing people wading through the streets.

Futurism
Terrifying NASA Video Shows America Spewing CO2 Into Atmosphere
Trapped Gases NASA has released a new visualization that shows copious amounts of carbon dioxide swirling around the Earth's atmosphere. The video shows how concentrations of the gas move across the planet, driven by wind and atmospheric circulation, from January through March 2020. The level of detail is truly astonishing, allowing us to "zoom in […]
Evening Standard
When will the 'Mediterranean heat blast' reach Britain?
Some decent summer weather is on the way at last, with London forecast to be as much as 31C from August 8
Wales Online
Met Office predicts temperatures to soar over weekend with 'summer to come'
The Met Office 10-day forecast is showing 'much sunnier, drier and warmer' weather for the end of July
The Independent
Taiwan races to rescue sailors stranded by Typhoon Gaemi as China warns of wide impacts: Live updates
More than 290,000 people in China have been forced to flee their homes
The Independent
Belgian GP 2024 F1 weather forecast: Rain expected at Spa-Francorchamps
Downpours are on the forecast in the Ardennes forest for practice on Friday
PA Media: UK News
Temperatures set to soar this weekend as Met Office warns of heatwave
The Met Office said some areas may meet ‘heatwave criteria’ following a sustained period of warm weather.
Manchester Evening News
Greek island faces ‘severe’ problem as holidaymakers warned it's ‘getting worse’ this summer
Concerns are growing on the island as the peak tourist season approaches
CBC
P.E.I. musician describes 'intense' evacuation of Jasper
The evacuation order that came to Jasper, Alta., Monday in the face of advancing wildfires Monday not was not unexpected, says P.E.I. musician Catherine MacLellan, but still shocking.MacLellan was taking advantage of a break in her schedule during a tour of western Canada to visit friends in Jasper."They warned me, gas up just in case there's a fire but they really didn't think it would happen," said MacLellan."By the time we were eating dinner that night we got the alert that there might be an
Associated Press
Scores of wildfires are scorching swaths of the US and Canada. Here's the latest on them
Scores of wildfires across the United States and Canada have scorched swaths of land in California, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Alberta and beyond, forcing evacuations and road closures, as well as destroying and threatening structures. The Durkee Fire in Baker County, Oregon, is the largest active blaze in the U.S., which merged with the Cow Fire to burn nearly 630 square miles (1,630 square kilometers). The blaze started nine days ago and remains unpredictable.
CNN
Man accused of starting California’s Park Fire is arrested as Oregon battles massive blaze
The largest active wildfire in the United States has scorched almost 270,000 acres in eastern Oregon, as nearly 80 large active wildfires are burning in the US, including a California blaze that exploded in size overnight. Here’s the latest:
Evening Standard
London weather: July to go out in blaze of warm sunshine with 27C tipped for the capital
The capital is predicted to bathe in uninterrupted sunshine next week as temperatures climb into the mid-to-high 20s
The Conversation
What causes lightning and how to stay safe when you’re caught in a storm – a meteorologist explains
What really happens when lightning strikes cars, what to do if you’re out in the open or on a beach, and other tips.
The Independent
Britain facing more hot and wets days thanks to the climate crisis, Met Office says
The new analysis shows the UK is seeing, on average, more frequent periods of hot weather and an increase in extreme rainfall
AFP
'Back to zero': Manila flood victims clean up, start again
Manila street vendor Zenaida Cuerda said Thursday she is "back to zero" after floodwaters washed away the food she sells for a living and swept through her house.We're now back to zero.
The Northern Echo
Hour-by-hour Met Office weather forecast for the North East on Friday
It is set to be a sunny day on Friday, with temperatures reaching 21C.
The Telegraph
Number of days above 30C trebles in a decade
The number of days above 30C has trebled in the UK as the climate gets warmer and wetter, despite this year’s indecisive summer, the Met Office has said.
Reuters Videos
Deadly typhoon sinks freighter as it barrels through Taiwan
STORY: Streets were quiet in Taiwan on Thursday after a powerful and deadly typhoon swept the island, killing at least two people and sinking a freighter offshore, whose crew are still missing.Typhoon Gaemi was the strongest cyclone to hit Taiwan in eight years.The weather authority says the storm made landfall around midnight on the northeastern coast of Yilan, packing gusts of up to 141 miles per hour before weakening.The storm cut power to around half a million households in Taiwan, though the local power utility said most of it had been restored by midday Thursday.The government said on top of the two people killed in the storm, more than 260 were counted as injured.Gaemi dumped rain across the island - with eyewitness video showing floods in the southern city of Kaohsiung.Fire officials also said a Tanzania-flagged freighter with nine Myanmar nationals on board had sunk off the city's coast.Authorities said they were searching for the crew, who have not responded to communications.Separately, Philippine officials said they are investigating whether a sinking of a marine tanker in rough seas off their own coast on Thursday was related to the storm.Gaemi did not make landfall in the Philippines, but flooded the capital Manila and nearby towns the day before, with hundreds of homes still without power.Officials said at least 14 people there had died.Meanwhile Gaemi is now barreling toward mainland China, where forecasters there say they expect a less intense storm, but heavy rain in many areas.State media reports authorities gave warnings for coastal provinces Fujian and Zhejiang, suspended train services, and relocated some 150,000 people.
The Independent
Man arrested for starting California’s largest wildfire of 2024 by pushing burning car into gully
Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, was seen shoving the smouldering vehicle down a 60-foot gully in Chico, California, authorities said
Storyful
Timelapse Shows California's Park Fire Grow to 45,000 Acres
A north California bushfire known as the Park Fire grew to more than 45,000 acres by the morning of July 25, after erupting a day earlier in Chico.Some evacuation warnings and orders were in place for parts of Butte and Tehama counties.More than 200 personnel were working to defend structures and establish containment lines, Cal Fire said. Credit: ALERTCalifornia | UC San Diego via Storyful
Associated Press
Lightning and a burning car pushed into a gully are blamed for wildfires scorching the West
A burning car pushed into a gully sparked California’s largest wildfire of the year, authorities said Thursday as they announced the arrest of a suspect. Meanwhile other blazes scorched the Pacific Northwest. Flames from the fire the man is accused of starting exploded into what is now the Park Fire, which has burned more than 195 square miles (505 square km) near the city of Chico.

Latest stories