A man in his eighties was rescued from the mud and the rising tide on Winchelsea Beach on Friday, August 23. He was stuck on all fours with the water just inches from his face before being brought to safety by two men waiting for the emergency services to arrive.
One of the man’s rescuers was Andy Bantock from Rye. He was walking on the beach with his wife Gale and whippet Tilly when he saw a group of people looking in the same direction. “We could see the elderly man stuck in the muddy sand being assisted by another man. It was obvious he was having difficulty getting the gent up and his predicament was a bit alarming. He was stuck on all fours and the tide was advancing quickly with his face only inches from the water.”
The coastguard had already been called and had advised that nobody else should join the rescue. “It was looking potentially life threatening so I went in anyway. With the help of Sean, who was also trying to get him out of the mud, we managed to get him more upright. He sank a bit deeper because all his weight was on his feet but we soon had him onto his back and were able to float him onto firmer sand.”
Following his rescue the man was looked after by the coastguard. Andy Bantock says it was a dangerous situation but he was happy to help. “As a regular walker on Winchelsea Beach I know how easy it is to get into difficulty in the mud and soft sand. I knew if I didn’t get involved, things could have ended very differently. Be careful folks.”
HM Coastguard – mud and quicksand safety tips:
- Check the weather forecast and tide times before you leave home.
- Look out for and follow the advice on warning signs.
- Avoid crossing estuaries and walking through mud where there can be hidden channels of fast-flowing water.
- If you do get trapped, sit back to spread your weight evenly across the surface.
- Stop others from trying to help you, as they might get stuck too.
- If you get stuck, call 999 immediately and ask for the coastguard.
Image Credits: Rye News .
Walkers do not realise just how bad some areas are on this coast and should not go walking alone if they are going off the beach. I remember when I and two colleagues were surveying the Anne wreck off the Pett Level Beach a few years ago and a colleague who, like me, is a wreck diver with much more experience than me got caught in the mud. He is a very fit chap, but when he came to join us he was white from his experience getting caught in the mud – he was clearly really shaken up. It is a frightening experience when you get caught and I have had to be pulled out. After that we never went down alone and always took rope etc. to ensure that we were better equipped.
Another time two volunteers came down and we had someone on the beach to specifically tell them the route to take to the wreck to avoid the deep mud. Unfortunately they decided to take a more direct route and one of them got caught and was floundering in the mud…. he ended up having to drive home in his underpants. I remember him saying that when he got home it was embarrassing having to dash from his car into his house in front of the neighbours… he never went back to the wreck.