Awkward police mishap on popular Aussie beach: 'Not a great idea'
Two police officers were left with bruised egos on Saturday after their car became bogged at a popular beach in Western Australia.
The male officers were new to the Esperance area, Western Australia Police revealed in a post on Facebook, and their interesting attempt to meet the locals left the masses amused.
Pictures of the incident were shared online and show the Toyota Camry — a front-wheel drive — parked up nice and close to the water's edge at the popular Wharton Beach. The officers are seen trying to free the wheels of their car from the sand but eventually turned to locals for help.
The beach is popular for surfing and allows vehicle access, but only for 4WD cars as smaller cars may struggle. So it's no surprise their Toyota Camry got stuck. Another beachgoer helped the police car to safety with a video showing the white 4WD pulling the police vehicle from the sand using a rope.
The unusual scenes caught the attention of dozens of beachgoers who watched as the car was being towed. Photos were also shared on a popular Facebook page 'Bogged' where it racked up thousands of likes and comments from amused social media users.
WA police responds to amusing beach blunder
Esperance Police has increased patrols over the holiday period in response to an increased number of "hoon drivers" on popular beaches in the area. It's believed these officers were carrying out their patrol when they became stuck. Goldfields-Esperance District WA Police shared details of the ordeal on Facebook and thanked those who rushed to the officers' aid.
"Esperance Police would like to welcome SC Neville to the team who started today and found a new way to engage with our wonderful local community," the post said, alongside photos of the incident.
No one was injured and no damage was done to the car, police said. The egos of the officers involved, however, "are in for repair" the police force joked after their beach blunder was made public.
"Imagine driving a Camry on the beach," one person mocked on Facebook with others agreeing it's "not a great idea" to be driving a two-wheeled-drive on the sand.
"When you're asked to 'patrol the beaches' and you take it literally....," another joked.
"Hahaha they’re only human too… good to see the locals and tourists helping where needed! Well done," one other said.
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