Stranded van driver standing on roof rescued from rising tide

A van driver in England who tried to cross a flooded causeway has been left red-faced and without wheels after he became stranded on his vehicle's roof amid a rising tide.

The man was attempting to drive to Osea Island, on the Essex coast, when a flooded causeway trapped his vehicle on Tuesday afternoon.

As the tide rose, the motorist was forced to climb onto the roof, while waiting for a rescue boat to arrive.

The region's Royal National Lifeboat Institution operations manager, Martin Wade, told The Telegraph that despite the driver's precarious position, he seemed quite relaxed.

"The water had risen up to the van's windows, covering the seats inside," Mr Wade said.

"Eventually the tide would have completely swamped the vehicle," he said.

"The crew took the driver ashore at Mili beach unhurt and completely dry."

They also attached a buoy to the van so that it passing vessels wouldn't crash into it.

Despite the precaution it's safe to assume the vehicle is a write-off.