Motorists visiting a notorious Welsh beach keep getting stranded and submerged by the sea. Over the last 40 years local farmer Dafydd Davies has repeatedly taken to his John Deere tractor to rescue vehicles from the notorious Traeth y Graig Ddu (Black Rock Sands) in Gwynedd . His commitment to saving stranded vehicles dates back to his own traumatic event four decades earlier. In 1980, while working on a new silage pit at his Tremadog farm, he suffered a severe accident with a JCB bucket loader that left him pinned against a concrete septic tank. "I lost my eye but I was very lucky I didn't lose my life," he recounted. The ordeal heightened his awareness of dangers and spurred a desire to contribute to the community, leading him to offer his land for air ambulance landings. "That incident made me much more aware of risks – even now I can sense accidents about to happen. It also made me want to give something back to the community – I volunteered my land for air ambulance landings." This sense of duty also prompted him nearly a decade ago to take on the role of beach guardian at Morfa Bychan, near Porthmadog, one of the rare Welsh beaches where driving is permitted. Pulling cars from the encroaching tide or freeing them from soft dune sands has long been a task for local farmers. Upon the retirement of the previous guardian, Dafydd eagerly stepped forward. Ever since, he's been the go-to person for beach wardens, Coastguards, and breakdown services when someone faces difficulty on the beach, reports North Wales Live . If they act swiftly, their cars and motorhomes can be salvaged; if they hesitate or attempt a self-rescue, resulting in their vehicles being submerged, all Dafydd can do is retrieve them to prevent an environmental hazard. Occasionally, his wife Kathryn, a former nurse, bears the brunt of such incidents, like when a pink VW campervan was engulfed in 2020. The van and its transporter, brought to the beach for a 1970s-themed photoshoot, were swallowed by a rapidly rising tide when they got stuck in the sand. "I always remember the date – September 14 – as it's my wife's birthday," Dafydd reminisced. "I'd booked a meal at a restaurant but my mobile rang and we had to go to the beach instead. I usually get there in 18 minutes but by the time we arrived, it was too late – the tide was coming in too fast. "Instead, I drove the tractor to the restaurant, had a meal, then I went back to the beach. It was around 2am when I finally got home." The distraught owner, from Cheshire, estimated losses at £60,000. Dafydd, now 68, continues to be astounded by the number of people who find themselves in such predicaments. They are invariably from across the border and even a few from abroad. Locals are well-versed in the unpredictable nature of a beach whose inviting shallow waters are perfect for swimming and water sports, yet pose a hidden threat to unwary motorists. The very feature that makes the beach ideal for leisure activities – its gentle slope – also presents a danger by enabling tides to surge in swiftly. Dafydd typically rescues about six vehicles each summer from the treacherous sands. However, this year has seen a spike in incidents. "I've done twice as many already," he revealed. An early onset of warm weather in April led to a premature beginning of what the community dubs the "silly season". Despite numerous warnings on the beach about the potential perils, Dafydd notes that they can't place signs where people tend to park at low tide near the water. "There are lots of signs on the beach warning of the dangers but obviously you can't put them where people park near the water's edge at low tide," he explained. Visitors who pay for parking receive a leaflet detailing tide times and beach safety tips, including advice on parking and even information on weeverfish. "Everyone paying to park is handed a leaflet giving the tide times and warnings about beach safety, including parking. There's even information about weeverfish!" he said. However, Dafydd observes that human nature often leads to ignoring these precautions, with people choosing to park wherever they please. This results in cars being stranded when the tide comes in unexpectedly. "But it's human nature, they don't read the leaflets or look at the signs, and they park where they want. If the tide is high in the morning, all the cars park higher up the beach and, if the sand is dry and soft, that's when people need pulling from the dunes," he said. The situation worsens when the tide is out, and the firmer sand encourages drivers to venture further, only to be caught off guard by the incoming sea. "However when the tide is out and the sand is harder, that's when people park further out. Before they know it, the sea is coming in." Over the last weekend, as Britain basked in its third heatwave of the summer, scores of beachgoers flocked to the sands, causing traffic to back up for over half a mile into Morfa Bychan village, effectively turning the beach into an enormous makeshift car park. "There were 1,500 vehicles on the beach on Saturday and 1,200 on Sunday," Dafydd reported. "I was there cleaning the beach for the council. "The wardens have 4x4s and so they usually pull cars stuck in sand. But as it was so busy, they were occupied looking for lost children and dealing other issues". "So I did that job for them instead. As the sand was so dry and soft, plenty of cars needed pulling – I was there for 10 hours on Saturday!". Dafydd avoids using ropes due to the risk of snapping and opts for straps instead, instructing drivers to attach them to their vehicle's towing points, even if it requires venturing into the sea. "Every vehicle has a different towing point, so I leave it to the owners," he explained, adding that this approach also prevents any claims of damage to the vehicles. "Hire cars are different - they don't come with towing irons. For some reason the hire companies say it's a health and safety issue." In response to the growing trend of campervans staying overnight on the beach, the local authorities have started closing the beach gate at Traeth Morfa Bychan at 8am. This change is a welcome one for Dafydd, who used to be on call late into the night; now, he can finally relax after 8pm. Theoretically, this arrangement should leave his personal time undisturbed. In reality, things don't always go according to plan. Last June, his mobile buzzed at 7.30pm. "We were dressed and just about to go out the door to a wedding party," he recalled. "I drove to the beach while my wife went to the party alone. "A family from Birmingham were stuck on the beach. As they reported it quickly, I was able to save their car - they were very grateful – and I made it to the party by 9pm. Only once the clock ticks past 8pm during the summer can I finally relax." Recent years have brought a fresh challenge to Dafydd's coastal rescue operation. The rising number of electric vehicles (EVs) presents a considerably tougher task than retrieving traditional petrol cars. "Electric vehicles are so much heavier because of their batteries," he explained. "You take a basic Honda EV - it weights 2.2 tonnes. Not only do they sink further into the sand, it requires more power and traction to pull them out." In the overwhelming majority of callouts, beach wardens and Coastguards ensure vehicles are empty by the time Dafydd reaches the scene. However, there have been rare exceptions. "On one occasion the driver was disabled and couldn't get out," Dafydd remembered. "So I pulled out the car with the driver still inside. Nothing is more important with this job than ensuring people are safe – cars can be replaced." When Dafydd initially accepted the position, he confesses certain areas of the beach caused him concern. The North Bank stands out as a particularly treacherous stretch, transforming into shifting sand banks as currents sweep around the Glaslyn Estuary. He recalls one vehicle remaining trapped there for two days before it could be excavated. "In the early days I was a bit afraid to go there – you could easily take the tractor there and not come back," he said. "But over the years I've learnt the beach and how it behaves." He does levy a fee for the service - slightly more for marine rescues than sand extractions owing to the demanding wash-down process required back at the farm. He's hesitant to reveal exact costs – though he emphasises they're minimal compared to purchasing a replacement vehicle. "I've heard of one person on Anglesey charging £500 – I don't charge anything like that," he said. Following the loss of his eye, Dafydd's immediate response was to join his local rugby team. He played as a prop forward. "The banter in the dressing room was that I should have been the blindside flanker," he quipped. Dafydd's rescue operation has its origins at Porthmadog Rugby Club. The club's lower pitches served as a park-and-ride site for the yearly Festival No 6, which drew inspiration from Portmeirion. Catastrophe befell the event in 2016 when torrential rain caused the fields to flood. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Countless festival-goers found themselves marooned, with many abandoning their cars, whilst tractors operated continuously to liberate trapped vehicles. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Dafydd received a phone call from his daughter informing him that a mate's vehicle had become trapped in mud. "As soon I got there I told the organisers the field would flood by midnight," he explained. " Farming on the estuary, I know the land well. I was there for a whole week, pulling vehicles from the field." Like many farmers, Dafydd believes he has an obligation to assist his local community. Some help clear snow from roads, whilst others rescue motorists trapped by floods. His role is somewhat different and, at 68 years old, he has no plans to retire anytime soon. "I enjoy it," he remarked. "I like the idea of giving something back. My son, Owain, who works with me on the farm, has done a couple of beach jobs, which means I can now get away for a day if I need to. But not for too long - helping others gives me great satisfaction."