A LOCAL motorist was left red-faced with embarrassment after she drowned her car in the tidal road in Aveton Gifford on Friday afternoon.

The incident, which led to some good-natured ribbing, also brought tongue-in-cheek safety warnings from police and fire crews.

The driver was returning from Bigbury at around 4.30pm, when she thought, ‘there’s an hour and a half until high tide, it can’t be that deep’.

Of course, it was that deep and about halfway through the first section of the road, the car died – and then started to float.

The driver got out of the car through the window and was assisted in pushing the drowned vehicle out of the water by two young holidaymakers who had witnessed the incident.

They managed to push the Ford Fiesta up and out of the water, before opening the doors and letting the sea – which had reached up over the seats – out.

Now was the moment of truth. A turn of the ignition key and a few pumps on the accelerator and the exhaust pumped out a load of salt water and came back to life!

The car was then manoeuvred out of the way of the rising tide and left on an incline to help it drain – to be picked up the next day – at low tide.

The problem now became how to get home. Unable to get hold of anyone on the phone, the driver accepted the fact that she was going to have to wade the rest of the tidal road and then walk home to Loddiswell.

So taking all the valuables from the car and shortening all the bag straps to keep them out of the river, she waded, up to waist high in some places, through the rest of the tidal road and back to Aveton Gifford village.

Luckily, half way back to the car park, she was able to contact her mum, who came to pick her up – after taking photos for posterity – obviously.

Back on dry land, she realised that without the help of the passing lads who helped her – or if the river had been moving faster – this could have been a very scary and dangerous situation. Floating down the river Avon in a heavy metal car could have gone badly wrong.

Kingsbridge police and Kingsbridge fire station quickly picked up on the incident and used the opportunity to warn drivers of misreading the tide. Police hastily posted on Facebook to lampoon the stupid driver.

They posted: ‘The tidal road at Aveton Gifford. It’s called “tidal” because the tide comes in.

‘We get quite a few people, mainly holiday makers, call us when they get stuck. This advice goes for flooding on the roads too.

‘If you don’t know how deep it is then don’t drive in. Surely a local person wouldn’t be so silly… would they?’

Fire personnel picked up on the theme: ‘The tidal road at Aveton Gifford allows drivers to pass along the beautiful River Avon, when the tide is out.

‘Our colleagues in Kingsbridge police have this evening issued a timely reminder that cars aren’t boats. Advice that we would support. Oh, and look, there are signs too.’

And before you think this article is too harsh on the driver – it was me. I was the moron who decided to chance it. And I can tell you, it’s not worth it.

But my little Fiesta is still alive and kicking.

Never underestimate a 16-year-old car – or the stupidity of some people.