Moment that father and three children swam for their lives from sinking car
Fourth girl jumped clear before it hit water
A FATHER and four children escaped from a car that plunged into the Firth of Forth and sank yesterday.
The man and three youngsters swam to safety while a fourth girl managed to get out of the car before it went into the water.
Screams of ‘get out of the car’ were heard after the Skoda careered down a stone embankment and dropped into the water, 5ft below.
Around ten passers-by formed a human chain to help the man and the girls, aged from ten upwards, to the shore before the car sank.
It is understood the 56-year-old driver was wearing a surgical foot support.
The drama began around 3.40pm yesterday at the Beacon Leisure Centre car park at Burntisland beach, Fife.
Witness George Craigie, 68, a retired delivery driver, said: ‘I heard the noise of the car taking off, the screech of tyres as if the driver’s foot was stuck on the accelerator, and away it went.
‘Then there was a lot of screaming and people arriving out of nowhere. People were shouting “get out of the car”.
‘There were three guys who jumped in to the water and they were dragging people out. There were at least ten people who had formed a human chain and they were bringing people out of the water and up the steep bank. They were holding hands and pulling people up out of the water.
‘The children from the car looked like teenagers. The back end of the car was disappearing under the water.’
Mr Craigie, who had been at the beach with his young grandson, added: ‘There were a lot of people around – people in the car park and others walking up and down the esplanade who saw what happened and rushed to help.’
It is understood the occupants of the car were a man and four girls. A 14-year-old managed to get out before it slipped from the promenade, while three other girls, aged ten, 13 and 14, were helped ashore before the RNLI lifeboat from Queensferry arrived.
Two members of the public helped free the man, who was struggling with a leg brace. All five car occupants were treated for shock and one was given oxygen.
Connor Jarvie, 23, from Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, was among those who dived into the water to help. He said: ‘It happened so quickly. My friend and I were about 50 yards away and we just heard a splash. We turned round and saw people looking towards the water, saying there were girls and a man in there.
‘We jumped in and helped them out of the car. We got the man to shore first and then the girls. The emergency services took around 20 minutes to arrive. I don’t know what would have happened if we’d waited but we didn’t want to take the chance.
‘Afterwards we were in shock and were asked if we wanted to go to hospital but we were fine.’
Another witness, Ben Sharland,
said: ‘I was at the beach and there was a car sitting in the car park. All of a sudden it started screeching before driving at speed into the water. It must have travelled about eight metres before going into the water and then drifted another eight while it was in the water. It was going at quite a speed. Thankfully everyone got out.’
The 31-year-old added: ‘When the driver got out he had a gammy leg. They all managed to get out OK. Within seconds, people were in the water swimming towards the car to try to help.
‘It’s so lucky there wasn’t anyone on the footpath when it sped across it into the water.’
Another witness said: ‘The place was very busy. It’s just lucky there were no children playing in front of the car. The car is fully under the water apart from the open boot sticking up.’
Police, ambulance, fire service and Coastguard personnel were sent to the scene.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘We were called at 3.40pm. The locus was given as Burntisland beach, at the car park for the Beacon Leisure Centre.
‘There do not appear to have been any injuries. It appears to have been driver error.
‘The driver and the passengers got out of the car before it became fully submerged. The driver was a 56-year-old male and the car is a Skoda Fabia.’
A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘The car is still in situ and there is no one trapped. It was an empty car which is now completely submerged.
‘We will be liaising with the Coastguard to recover the vehicle.’
Some people also took to social media to express their shock.
Maxine Walker wrote: ‘Guy drove this car with a stookie on his leg and ended up in the water. 3 kids in the car too. All out now though.’
‘There was a lot of screaming’