Man rescued from mud at Weston-super-Mare
A man who was stuck in mud at Weston-super-Mare this
afternoon was freed from his predicament by coastguard rescue teams with
assistance from a rescue boat and the Coastguard rescue helicopter from St
Athan.
The UK Coastguard received a 999 call at 2.00pm to report
that a man was stuck in mud and struggling near the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare.
Weston-super-Mare, Burnham and Clevedon Coastguard Rescue
Teams, the Burnham Area Rescue Boat and the Coastguard rescue helicopter from
St Athan were all called to assist the man who was knee deep in the mud and had
become exhausted with struggling to free himself.
The Coastguard rescue teams worked to extract the man from the
mud using specialised equipment which injects air and water around the person
so that they can be freed. The rescue boat provided a platform to make the
operation even more efficient. Once the man had been recovered to shore he was
assessed by the helicopter’s winchman and was handed over to the land ambulance.
Ian Thomas, for the UK Coastguard said:
“Getting stuck in mud can be a terrifying experience. The
tide at Weston-super-Mare comes in very quickly and flows through gullies at
enormous speed. The teams did a great job of extracting the man and although he
was cold and wet he was uninjured.
“We would advise members of the public to take great care
around estuarial mud and not to take risks near it. If you do become stuck in
mud at the coast, spread your weight as much as possible, try not to struggle
and call 999 immediately.”