WHAT should have been a day of recreation on the water wound up as a public spectacle and a luxury SUV under water Saturday afternoon.
West Vancouver police, with the help of the Vancouver Police Department's marine unit and a local towing company, had to drag a disabled Mercedes out of the water after it failed to successfully launch a boat at Ambleside beach.
Crowds began to gather when a man tried to launch the boat and found he couldn't get the vehicle into drive as the tide rolled in, according to witness David Kirkpatrick.
After a "feeble attempt" to pull it out with a nearby pickup truck, the situation evolved from an eyebrow-arching curiosity to a full-blown fiasco.
"At this point Vancouver police harbour patrol showed up with several boats and helicopters overhead," Kirkpatrick said. "Meanwhile, the tide is coming in and the crowd is gathering."
A third VPD zodiac showed up and a police diver hopped in the drink to thread a rope through the front windows so the tow truck could latch on.
"It was a real crowd-pleaser. Before they pulled it out, this car was all but six inches under water - this brand new Mercedes," Kirkpatrick said.
