Sports car plunges 20ft off coastal path into the sea Published duration 11 October 2015

image caption It is believed the car landed upside down in several feet of water before the tide went out

A sports car plunged about 20ft off a coastal path into breaking waves.

The BMW Z3 convertible ended upside down with just the wheels showing above the water surface, police said.

The 37-year-old male driver managed to get out and walk to the water's edge. He was "reasonably well," said the RNLI.

The car came off a stone wall forming part of the South West Coast Path between the mainline railway and the sea near Teignmouth.

The car went over between East Cliff and Sprey Point just before 08:00 BST on Sunday.

Tony Watson, from the Teignmouth Lifeboat, said the man had already got out of the car when the lifeboat arrived, describing conditions as "bad with fairly heavy swell and breaking water."

image copyright Teignmouth RNLI image caption The car fell into the sea from a stone coast path built to reinforce the mainline railway

image copyright RNLI Teignmouth image caption The car driver was checked over by paramedics, the RNLI said

He said the driver, understood not to be from the area, was "reasonably well and was able to walk half a mile back to Teignmouth".

He was driving down a narrow stone area next to the railway. Tony Watson said: "You can get through, but shouldn't."

Initially it had been feared there was another person or dog in the car, but Devon and Cornwall Police said divers had checked and confirmed the driver had been alone.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "One man was inside the vehicle and exited it. He went into the sea with it and got out."

Officers said they were not sure if the convertible roof was up or down.

Teignbridge District Council will arrange recovery of the car by bringing it up a slipway, they said.