{"id":903,"date":"2013-08-08T13:36:37","date_gmt":"2013-08-08T13:36:37","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-17T19:13:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T19:13:38","slug":"charity-surf-school-owner-loses-his-truck-and-trailer-to-the-tide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tickettoridegroup.com\/blog\/charity-surf-school-owner-loses-his-truck-and-trailer-to-the-tide\/","title":{"rendered":"Charity Surf School owner loses his truck and trailer to the tide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The height of the season in North Cornwall can get pretty packed, but this is one of the most bizarre stories we’ve ever come across!<\/p>\n

Mark Hill, director of Freedom Surf, had left his work truck and trailer on Towan Beach in Newquay while teaching disabled children to surf yesterday afternoon. But when Mr Hill returned to his vehicle to move it to avoid the incoming tide, he found he couldn’t go anywhere because holiday-makers had surrounded his truck and refused to move. The crowds made it impossible for him to use the Army-issue sand mats, ladders, winch or anchor, to get his trailer, used for transporting the surfboards for his classes, to safety.<\/p>\n

Mr Hill, 37, said: ‘Basically, I was cut off by people, not the tide. I’m not blaming the tourists but I do think people need to be educated on beach awareness. ‘People were walking out in front of the truck – you wouldn’t do that in the street so why do it on the beach?<\/p>\n

I had to tell one lad to move because he was sat on the bumper. A bit of common sense in these situations goes a long way.<\/p>\n

This was an unfortunate event that could have been avoided.<\/p>\n

Mr Hill had just run a Freedom Surf event at nearby Great Western beach and had pre-warned the lifeguards that he was on his way round to the vehicle exit point on Towan beach. But as he rounded the corner he spotted hundreds of bathers, who refused to move out of the way.<\/p>\n

Driving on wet sand you have to keep moving or you get stuck, and this is what happened,’ said father-of-one Mr Hill.<\/p>\n

People then swarmed around us and we just couldn\u2019t move or get the sand mats down. If I\u2019d tried to use them they can easily shoot out from under the wheels like a torpedo.<\/p>\n

‘Similarly if I\u2019d tried the ground anchor it could come away and decapitate someone. There was nothing I could do and within 10 minutes we were under water.<\/p>\n

The truck was recovered at low tide in the early hours this morning but not before it had been looted by surfers and snorkelers overnight. Among the items stolen were wetsuits, tools, clothes and a vintage 1960s surf-board, worth around \u00a3600, which was later recovered.<\/p>\n

Coastguards helped protect the vehicle late last night after they became aware it was being targeted by looters, who were paddling out on surfboards or snorkelling. Mr Hill, 37, said: ‘They are absolute scumbags. It\u2019s disgusting. Whatever happened to surfers having karma?’<\/p>\n

Some wet suits and equipment were lost, but there was little damage to the trailer. However, Mr Hill\u2019s Land Rover is unlikely to be in as good condition after being fully submerged for several hours. Mr Hill appealed for donations for Freedom Surf, a not-for-profit project for people with disabilities that is linked to Cornwall Council and the NHS, to replace the damaged goods. The organisation started in 2006 to teach disadvantaged and disabled youngsters to surf.<\/p>\n

‘The whole idea of Freedom Surf is that when you are in the water there\u2019s no such thing as a disability,’ said Mr Hill. ‘Everyone is just having fun together. It\u2019s about social interaction as much as it\u2019s about surfing.<\/p>\n

A surfer for around 16 years, he designed his own specialist equipment, using a couple of disabled friends as ‘guinea-pigs’ to test it out. He took sign language lessons and other qualifications to help him work with disabled people.<\/p>\n

Following on from this event, we have found that in October 2013 the public raised \u00a310,000 to help support Mark (see article below.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cornwall-24031649