By Safira Ali

Last updated 11:38, Thursday, 05 June 2008

THIS car was swept out to sea yesterday after its owner parked it on the beach at Ravenglass in west Cumbria.

Mark Pearce: ’I couldn’t get to the car in time before the tide came in. There was nothing we could do about it until the tide went.”

Mark Pearce, 50, parked his Saab convertible outside Esk View House, which he is renovating, at 12.15pm.

However, the tide came in earlier than he expected at just before 12.30pm and he was unable to get to it in time.

Mark and his friend phoned the RAC to try and retrieve the car in the afternoon.

He said: “I had parked the car on the beach and then the tide came in. I couldn’t get the car into the drive because there was someone else parked there.

“So I parked on the beach.

“I got busy and distracted, because I am doing my house up. But I couldn’t get to the car in time before the tide came in. There was nothing we could do about it until the tide went.”

The coastguard and police were informed.

Coastguard watch manager Paul Parkes said: “People shouldn’t park their cars below the high water mark. They should find out before they park how high the tide comes in, otherwise they will be surrounded by water.”