Van Driver Standing on His Car Roof Rescued From Rising Tide

A man was rescued from his van roof on May 26, after getting stuck in rising tides on Osea Island along the Essex coast in England. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) received a distress call before 4pm saying a man attempted to drive out of wet mud before the tide came in.

The dramatic moment was caught on RNLI video as the man was rescued from his roof, clambering down into the waiting boat to safety.

Martin Wade, the West Mersea RNLI Lifeboat operations manager, told reporters that, “When the lifeboat arrived, we found the driver standing on the roof. The water had risen up to the van’s windows, covering the seats inside. Eventually the tide would have completely swamped the vehicle.” Credit: RNLI