This is the dramatic moment a van was almost washed off a harbour as Storm Kathleen battered Wales. Tenby Boat Trips, which runs wildlife-focused sightseeing trips in the area, was monitoring its boats via webcam during the rough weather on Saturday, April 6, at 4pm, when they had a shock.
A huge wave was captured crashing over the river wall at Tenby Harbour and covering the roof of the vehicle, resulting in it rolling forward towards the other side of the harbour. The storm caused chaos across the country at the weekend, with dozens of flights to and from airports cancelled, roofs damaged, trees knocked down, ferry trips cancelled, train speeds limited and thousands left without power.
Angus Dunlop, owner of Tenby Boat Trips, said the van had not been left in a great condition after the act of nature, which he described as a "big swell". For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.
READ MORE: People told to stay away from the Welsh coast
READ MORE: People urged not to go into the water at these popular locations in Wales
Owner of Tenby Boat Trips, Angus Dunlop, said: "We run Tenby Boat Trips, and we've got a boat in the harbour, right where the van was, the big yellow boat you can see in the video. In big storms like that, when they come in, you get what's called a 'run' in the harbour, you get a lot of that ocean swell - the energy comes surging around the pier. We watch the boats in those instances just to make sure they are ok, and that's what we were doing at the time, watching on a webcam.
"You can hear my reaction on the video! We haven't had a big storm for a while, but that was a big swell. The van is not in great condition, it has definitely seen better days. It is a very early start to our season, with Easter being so early, and we have a small puffin colony, so that's a big thing that we're watching for, and the puffin had just started coming back, so there's a puffins colony on St Margaret's Island, so that's what we've been looking at. We had a lovely start to the season, we've had some of the puffin back, dolphins, seals, it was all going well, and then Storm Kathleen came on our radar and we have to keep an eye on everything and that is what happens.
"We're the wildlife operators from Tenby Harbour, so we go around the south Pembrokeshire islands of Caldy and St Margaret's. This is my 20th year doing it, and our focuses are that we go and see puffins and all the oceanic birds, and the grey seal colony.
"We're very lucky to be right on the edge of the Atlantic, but it gives and it takes. Our main strength is being such a beautiful place, but when it turns, that's what we have to be careful of for obvious reasons. In calamity is beauty, that's why we like it so much." If you wish to learn more about Tenby Boat Trips and their tours, you can do so by clicking here. Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news.
