A VEHICLE stuck in the sand at the beach at North Berwick was at risk of being completely submerged by the tide - until it was pulled to safety.

The silver pick-up truck had been launching a dinghy at about noon on Thursday when it got into difficulty.

Said eyewitness Jennifer Gall: "The tide was coming in and the water level rapidly rising.

"There were lots of people on the beach gathering to help. People in little boats were trying to help then a black pick-up arrived with a tow rope. There was an element of panic as the water had reached the engine and set off the horn.

"It took the black pick-up several attempts and it was skidding and going sideways as it tried to pull. After a few attempts, the silver pick-up was back on the beach and people were cheering."

North Berwick Coastguard confirmed that it and North Berwick RNLI had been alerted on Thursday to "reports of a vehicle submerged in water on the beach".

The Coastguard said: "On scene, a helpful local fisherman had assisted the casualty to safety. [There was] no requirement to launch the lifeboat on this occasion and teams provided safety advice."