Lifeguard Mahindra Thar rescues Maruti Swift stuck in sand at Goa beach

Every now and then, news of overzealous tourists taking their cars to beaches and getting stuck are reported. Here is one such report from Miramar Beach in Goa where a Maruti Swift hatchback got stuck and was rescued by a Mahindra Thar owned by a Lifeguard.

What happened here?

The video shows a group of tourists from Hyderabad taking a Maruti Swift to the Miramar beach in Goa, where their vehicle gets stuck in the sand. Even though cars are banned on public beaches, many tourists break the rule to take the vehicles closer to the seashore. The fascination of driving on the beach is a little too much to resist, for many tourists, who have seen cars driven on the beach in many movies and commercials. However, there is a danger here. The beach sand settles down very quickly, especially the wet sand near the shoreline, and almost any vehicle can get stuck in it. The Suzuki Swift here met with a similar fate and was stuck in the sand for quite some time.

The video first shows bystanders and cops trying to push the vehicle from the sea, but several attempts fail to make it happen. Later, the Lifeguard service  is called who reach the spot in a Mahindra Thar. However, due to the high tide, the Swift sinks quite deep into the water by the time the rescue team reaches the spot. The rescue team then ties the Thar’s front to the Swift’s rear tow hook and pulls out the vehicle easily. It should be noted that the rescue team kept the Mahindra Thar away from the wet sand, even though the Thar is a 4X4 vehicle and was being driven by professionals used to driving on beaches.

No beach driving

Taking vehicles so close to the shoreline can lead to grave problems. Even if the driver is capable and the vehicle comes with a 4X4 system, it is difficult to drive on the soft beach sand. If the car gets stuck and help does not arrive in time, the vehicle can even be washed away due to the high tide.

However, there are many driving beaches in India where one can drive legally and take their vehicle close to the shoreline. Such beaches consist of hard sand and do not cave under the weight of the vehicle. The Muzhappilangad beach in Kerala is one such beach where vehicles can enter after paying a small fee and drive near the shoreline. It is important to understand how dangerous driving on the beaches can be and why it should be avoided.