One vehicle was destroyed and three others had a lucky escape after a group of jet skiers left their vehicles in the path of an incoming tide.
No-one was hurt in the incident, which unfolded on Trimingham beach in north Norfolk on Saturday.
Pete Revell, from HM Coastguard's Bacton team, said a rescue team was paged at 4pm.
Mr Revell said an unfortunate chain of events led to four vehicles becoming stranded on the sand.
He said: "We first saw it on social media, people were posting that there was a car up to its windows in water.
"Another vehicle came to pull it out and they got stuck, then another vehicles came to pull that out and they got stuck as well. At one point there were four vehicles stuck on the beach."
Mr Revell said vehicles were allowed onto the beach off Vale Road to launch jet skis and other vessels, but were then supposed to be left off the beach in car parking spaces.
He said after about two-and-a-half hours three of the vehicles had been recovered, but the first car that got stuck was still stranded in the water.
Mr Revell said the Coastguard was unable to anything to help, as no lives were immediately in danger.
He said: "We are only there for the safety of the owners of the vehicles and any bystanders, we are not there to recover property.
"We came to a frustrating situation with the owners, when they wanted to know what we were going to do about their car floating out to sea.
"But we are not going to put our lives at risk to recover a vehicle."
That vehicle was eventually able to be pulled out after a Land Rover arrived with a winch.
Mr Revell said sea water flooded out of the car's doors when opened.
He said: "The car was a compete write-off. The engine wouldn't start and the whole of the interior was soaking with sea water.
"I believe it was the last day of that person's holiday as well."
Mr Revell said the incident should serve as a reminder to be wary of tides. He said cars getting stuck on that part of the beach happened again and again.
He said: "It was not the first time this has happened on Vale Road and it won't be the last."
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