The name's Pond...James Pond! Proud owner of new £165,000 Aston Martin Vantage gets more than he bargained for when he tried to ford river

By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:53, 27 June 2026 | Updated: 15:56, 27 June 2026 The owner of a new Aston Martin was left in trouble when he failed to cross a deep ford in Essex. The silver £165,000 Vantage seemingly lost power partway through the water at a bend in the road at Buttsbury Wash, near Billericay in Essex. The area is a known trouble spot for cars, with vehicles regularly getting stuck when drivers underestimate the depth of the water. Video footage shows the car accelerating into the water before grinding to a halt around two thirds of the way through. The driver was then forced to climb out into shin-high water - fortunately while wearing shorts - to call for help. Clambering out of the driver's side, the man, dressed in a black t-shirt, red shorts and sunglasses, said: 'F*** me.' He was later heard on the phone saying: 'The car's not filling up, but it's obviously got into the engine. 'It just didn't look that deep'.  The silver £165,000 Vantage seemingly lost power partway through the water at a bend in the road at Buttsbury Wash, near Billericay in Essex The driver was forced to climb out into shin-high water - fortunately while wearing shorts - to call for help Responding to a question he added that the engine 'just cut out'.  Roadside assistance later arrived and towed the car out of the water.  The footage also showed other vehicles traversing the water more successfully. One female driver jokingly pumped her fist in the direction of the person filming after getting her car safely across.  While larger cars and vans appeared to have little trouble, smaller models such as a Fiat 500 and a Ford Fiesta had a more challenging time - but slow and steady driving helped them navigate the obstacle.  The AA recommends that drivers do not try to pass through water that is deeper than 10cm unless they are in a 4x4 or other raised vehicle. Drivers are advised to drive slowly at 3-4mph, use higher revs than usual and avoid stalling or stopping.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.