A FAMILY of four from Hereford had a lucky escape after they became stranded on rocks at sea and their hire car was swamped by the tide.

Video footage shows their stranded hire car trapped in the sea by the incoming tide, at Brean Down in Somerset on Saturday evening.

According to the Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team on Facebook, three people went walking along the base of the down with their dog, and left their car on the beach in a safe parking area, unaware that the tide came in so far.

While walking the tide turned and they could not get back to safety in time, trapping the three people and dog from the beach.

One family member remained in the car and, when seeing the danger, raised the alarm and the attention of the Beach Warden.

The person in the car was brought to safety and look after by a police unit on the scene.

The Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team were called at 7.18pm and with Weston Lifeboats rescued the stranded family from the rocks and they were transferred to lifeboats and conveyed to the shore, where crew from the Coastguard assessed them for medical attention.

Paramedics at the scene assessed them further and took them to hospital so they could access medicine that had been lost in the hire car.

A spokesperson from Burnham Coastguard Rescue said: “Our safety advice for car users is, if you visit the beach and especially if you park on the beach, always check tide times.

“Stay within the safe parking zones and if you are going to leave your car unattended for a long period of time, check if it safe to do so. If you are unsure do not leave it on the beach.

“If you do become stuck or have any emergency while at the beach dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”