VANCOUVER -- It was no day at the beach for a family who got themselves into a pickle Friday when their SUV got mired in the sand at Crescent Beach as the tide was coming in.

Marcel Hanson recorded the ordeal using his phone, and said he and other beachgoers at the popular South Surrey beach attempted to help the family by calling a tow-truck and the fire department.

But the sand on that part of the beach also claimed one of the tow trucks, which eventually had to be pulled out with a second tow truck.

“We were just relaxing at Blackie Spit on Crescent Beach,” Hanson said. “All of a sudden this G-Wagon (Mercedes SUV) with a trailer with a Sea-doo on it comes down the ramp there, through the sand.”

Hanson said he was surprised to see the vehicle driving on the beach, which is near the sailing club; most people who bring their boats down to the beach use a hand-trailer to move relatively light sailboats, and they usually put boats into the water at high tide.

Hanson observed the SUV going further and further into the mud on the beach.

“I thought ‘Oh my gosh, this is not going to end well,’” Hanson said

Several people gathered to see if they could help, and eventually Hanson called several tow truck companies – but all the companies said they wouldn’t be able to send a truck for two to three hours.

On the advice of the sailing club staff, one of the beachgoers also called the fire department. A Surrey RCMP officer also arrived at one point.

Clover Towing eventually did arrive, sending three trucks. One of those trucks got stuck itself, and had to be pulled out by another truck.

Two to three hours later, the Mercedes and the tow truck were finally unstuck. Based on what he heard from the sailing club staff, Hanson said it appears this happens around once a year.

Hanson said while the event made for “good entertainment” to beachgoers, “I felt really sorry for the people."

“They probably just wanted to come to the beach to try out their new Sea-doo, and it just ended completely differently than what they anticipated,” he said.