Sinking Ashore: Stuck In Beach Mud, Sand Or Quicksand

[rynner2]

A non-storm-related marine rescue:

Girl, 10, rescued from Solway Firth quicksand

A 10-year-old girl has been rescued from quicksand on the Solway Firth after getting trapped up to her waist in mud.
The incident happened at Sandyhills in Dumfries and Galloway at about 11:30.
Coastguard teams, police and firefighters used special equipment to reach the girl and free her.
The rescue operation took more than an hour to complete and the girl was taken to Dumfries Infirmary suffering from the cold.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "We sent two fire engines, a fire rescue boat and an incident support vehicle to the scene.
"We were able to rescue the girl, who is 10, using the ice paths and sand lance."

Coastguard teams from Portling, Kirkcudbright and Annan were called out along with the Nith Inshore Lifeboat, police and firefighters from Dumfries.

A Coastguard spokesman said the initial call said that two young people had been stuck but one managed to get out and tried to free the other.
He added: "Fortunately the tide was out at the time or it could have been very serious indeed.
"Once they got the special equipment in place they were able to extract the girl from the mud.
"She was taken by ambulance to Dumfries Infirmary suffering from the cold."

Sandyhills caravan site warden Andy Thomas helped ferry equipment to the scene on his quad bike and trailer.
He said: "The girl was stuck up to the waist in the mud.
"Luckily the tide was out at the time or it could have been completely different.
"There are signs up there warning people about the treacherous tides and you've got to be careful when you're on the coast."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-24709207

 

[rynner2]

Dog rescued from mud in rising tide at Langstone Harbour

A dog had to be rescued by coastguard teams after becoming stuck in mud up to his chest during a walk.
Eight-year-old Rottweiler Buddy got stuck on Saturday afternoon while walking his owner at Langstone Harbour, by Hayling Island near Portsmouth.
A passer-by called 999 and spoke to Solent Coastguard after seeing the dog in trouble while the tide was rising.

Buddy, who was not thought to be injured, was pulled out by rescuers, put on a stretcher and winched ashore.
A dog handler from Hampshire police helped the Hayling Island and Portsmouth coastguard rescue teams with the rescue.

Steve Duff, Portsmouth coastguard sector manager, said: "The owner was obviously very upset to see her dog's predicament and we were concerned because the tide was starting to flood the creek.
"The teams had to work very quickly to get the dog out and put him in a stretcher.
"We managed to get Buddy extracted in the nick of time, just as the water was starting to lap at our boots.

"The stretcher, with Buddy and one of the team on board, was then winched to shore.
"Buddy was washed down, wrapped in blankets and reunited with his relieved owner who was able to take him home, cold and tired, but hopefully unharmed."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-25703642

 

[rynner2]

The URL for this story was posted on Day of the Animals, but as it's really a story about the RNLI and CGs (all the daft cow did was get itself stuck in the mud!) I'm posting the full text here:

Morecambe’s volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew in animal mud rescue
Colin Midwinter, Volunteer lifeboat press officer at Morecambe.
Date:
09/02/2014

Morecambe’s RNLI Inshore rescue hovercraft launched onto the River Lune yesterday (Friday 7 February) after a request from the Coastguard to locate and rescue a cow reported as stuck in mud on the river bank.

Just before midday on Friday 7 February 2014, Liverpool Coastguard tasked the Morecambe RNLI hovercraft crew to locate and rescue a cow that was reported to be stuck in mud on the river bank opposite Lancaster Golf Club.

Launching onto the river, the hovercraft crew quickly located the frightened animal; which had sunk deep into thick mud and was unable to move anything but its head. It was immediately apparent that the four man hovercraft crew might have difficulty in freeing the cow without assistance and Hovercraft Commander Harry Roberts requested support from Bay Rescue with their specialist lifting gear. In the meantime, the hovercraft crew began working to free the animal using their own mud rescue equipment.

When the Bay Rescue team arrived on the scene an hour later, they worked with the RNLI hovercraft crew to free the animal, using the hovercraft’s mud lance together with water pumped into the mud from the hovercraft’s ballast tanks. With minutes to spare, due to the rapidly rising tide, the combined teams were able to finally extricate the animal from the mud; using the lifting equipment on the Bay Rescue team’s vehicle.

Morecambe RNLI hovercraft crew member Colin Midwinter said “This operation was an excellent example in demonstrating how the combined resources and expertise of the various rescue organisations can achieve successful outcomes under challenging circumstances.”

http://rnli.org/NewsCentre/Pages/Moreca ... escue.aspx

The shallow, tidal waters of Morecambe Bay, with its dangerous quicksands, is a special environment for which a hovercraft is an ideal rescue vehicle at all states of the tide.

There were 4 RNLI stations in 2011 with Hovercraft. General info here (with video):
http://rnli.org/aboutus/lifeboatsandsta ... craft.aspx

 

[rynner2]

Women rescued from waist-deep mud near Herne Bay

Three women and a dog have been rescued after becoming trapped waist-deep in a mud slide on the Kent coast in two separate incidents.
The first woman to be rescued had been walking from her home town of Herne Bay to Reculver on Sunday morning.
A fellow walker and two dogs had managed to free themselves from the mud.

About 90 minutes later, two women and a dog were rescued from the same place. None of them were injured.
The RNLI lifeboat was used to take a Kent Fire and Rescue Service crew to the scene who used mud mats to rescue the first woman who became trapped.
She was taken ashore by the lifeboat.

The fire service and Thames Coastguard rescued the two women and the German shepherd dog from the thick mud.
An ambulance crew were on the scene. but none of those rescued needed hospital treatment.

The coastguards advised those who became stuck in mud to call 999 immediately and try to spread their weight and avoid moving while help arrives.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-26612718

 

[rynner2]

Pregnant woman rescued from Weston-super-Mare mudflats

A heavily pregnant woman stuck waist-deep in mud was among eight people rescued by hovercraft from mudflats in Weston-super-Mare.
The woman, who is eight months pregnant, was taken to safety along with her partner and a young girl.

The crew was initially called out on Monday afternoon to rescue a teenage boy and his carer near the Grand Pier.
After checking the area, Avon Fire and Rescue Service rescued three men in their 20s before finding the woman.

Spokesperson Steph Mounsey said: "People visiting the area may not know how quickly the tide comes in at Weston-super-Mare, and just what the problem is with the water rising up through the mud.
"It becomes like quicksand. A lot of local people know that - but many tourists don't."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-28539962

 

[rynner2]

16 February 2015 Last updated at 09:07
Lulworth Cove 'explorer' rescued from waist-deep mud

The 29-year-old man got stuck at Stair Hole near Lulworth Cove

A man has been rescued after becoming trapped waist-deep in mud at a popular Dorset beauty spot.
The 29-year-old had been "exploring the landscape" near Lulworth Cove when he got stuck at Stair Hole on Sunday afternoon, the fire service said.
Two fire engines, a "technical rescue team", paramedics and the coastguard agency were called to the scene.
The man was uninjured. The fire service has warned of the dangers of cliff pathways and embankments.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-31485555

 

[rynner2]

2 March 2015 Last updated at 13:05
New Forest beach rescue after mother and daughter stuck in mud

A mother and daughter had to be rescued by coastguards after becoming stuck in mud on a New Forest beach.
The woman became trapped as she tried to free her daughter, 11, who was submerged knee-deep in the mud.

The coastguard and fire service were called to Lymington at 14:30 GMT on Sunday. The pair were stuck 30m (98ft) from the shoreline for an hour.
The mother was treated for the effects of the cold while the girl had a leg injury.

Family members raised the alarm after the mother had tried to pull her daughter from the mud at Tanners Lane, East End.
Lymington Coastguard, assisted by Hill Head Coastguard and Hampshire Fire and Rescue service, arrived at the scene at 14:40 GMT and the pair were freed by 15:20 GMT.

Colin Tabor, station officer at Lymington Coastguard, said: "This was a challenging one because of the location and also because we were faced with deteriorating weather conditions and a flood tide."
The pair were taken to Southampton General Hospital.

The coastguard and emergency services also rescued a man from mud in Milton, Portsmouth, at 20:30 GMT on Sunday.
He was unhurt.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-31690440

 

[Frideswide]

New Forest beach rescue

Looking at that photo, if they've put the wean on the load-spreading sledge, why aren't the people pulling it getting stuck?

Are they out of the dangerous bit by the time the picture is taken?

 

[rynner2]

Coastguards called to rescue woman stuck up to her waist in sand at Perranporth Beach
First published Saturday 14 March 2015

Chapel Rock, Perranporth. Photo copyright: rynner

Coastguards were called to Chapel Rock on Perranporth Beach on Friday after a report that a woman was stuck in the soft sand up to her thighs.
At 2.41pm a call was received from Falmouth Coastguard saying she was still sinking.
Five firefighters in two appliances from Perranporth attended the scene along with Coastguard and Police officers.
A 4x4 appliance carried equipment from the major appliance to the incident scene.

On crew’s arrival the lady had sunk in the soft sand almost up to her waist.
A light portable pump with hose reel was used like a sand lance pushing water into the ground and loosening the sand around the trapped female.
A triple extension ladder was placed around the lady for her to hold on to whilst the sand was being loosened.
Once the sand was soft enough firefighters pulled the female from the soft sand to safety.
The lady was left in the care of Coastguard crews who took her back to safe ground to be checked over by ambulance paramedics.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/new...er_waist_in_sand_at_Perranporth_Beach/?ref=mr

I've always found the sand on the beach there fairly hard. That's the attraction of the place. There's no mention of 'a race against the incoming tide' - maybe the woman was near the stream that flows down the beach between the rock and the cliffs.

 

[rynner2]

Another view of Chapel Rock, showing the stream, foreground and left.
(But people often paddle in it, with no problems.)

 

[rynner2]

'Heroes' rescue stranger from sinking mud with their bare hands
Two friends rescue a stranger from the mud after asking him to borrow his hacksaw
By Hannah Furness
9:33PM BST 21 Sep 2015

When stuck fast, alone, in sinking mud as the tide comes in, most members of the public could be forgiven a moment of mild panic.
Thanks be, then, to the calm heads of two British boatmen, who spent two hours digging a fellow sailor out of sinking estuary mud just in the nick of time.

The two friends have told how they came to the aid of a 63-year-old stranger, who calming and politely asked for their help as he faced peril in the Essex sea.
Aaron Simpson and Dan Ansell, who were working nearby, dug with their bare hands to set him free, tying a rope around his torso to finally drag him free with brute force as the high tide rose.

The man was later attended to by coastguard, an ambulance and two fire crews, with officers using specialist rescue line equipment to complete the rescue.
He is said to have thanked the two men for "saving his life", before heading back for a shower.

etc...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...r-from-sinking-mud-with-their-bare-hands.html

Much of the Thames estuary shoreline is soft mud like that. When I first went to the east coast, having become familiar with the mostly rock and sand shorelines of the South West, and Brittany, it was a bit of a culture shock!
As was the flat coastline, with few landmarks, and numerous off-lying shoals.

Francis Drake is generally thought of as a Devon sailor, but in fact he learned his sea-faring off the East Coast, and across the North Sea.

 

[rynner2]

Helicopter rescue for teenager trying to save dog stuck in mud
Coastguard crews save girl at Trimingham on north Norfolk coast
Press Association
Friday 1 January 2016 17.14 GMT

A teenager who got stuck in mud while trying to save her dog has had to be winched to safety by helicopter.
The girl reportedly lay down flat to spread her weight after getting into trouble in Trimingham on the north Norfolk coast on Friday morning, HM Coastguard said.
Coastguard rescue teams including a helicopter attended the scene alongside police, ambulance crews and firefighters after a member of the public called 999.

Rescue teams believe the girl tried to save her pet after it became stuck in the mud. The dog eventually escaped, but she became stuck.
Rescue teams were initially unable to reach the teenager because the mud was very soft, and a coastguard helicopter was dispatched from the north of England. The girl was winched to safety and assessed by an ambulance crew at the scene.

Peter Macauley of HM Coastguard said: “Although we understand that people are very attached to their pets and become anxious when they are in trouble, we would continue to urge people to call 999 for coastguard when any assistance is required on the coast.”

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-for-teenager-trying-to-save-dog-stuck-in-mud

This is the second attempted animal rescue on the coast today that got humans into trouble. Sadly, the first one, in Cornwall, resulted in a fatality (see previous page).

 

[rynner2]

Coastguards rescue man trapped in mud near Falmouth
By WBHazelMurray | Posted: January 16, 2016

EMERGENCY services were called to the aid of a man who had become trapped in mud yesterday afternoon, near Falmouth.
The Falmouth Coastguard Rescue team arrived on the scene at Six Turnings/ Church Road in Mylor around 3pm, where the man had become trapped in mud up to his waist just off the Mylor Creek channel.
It appears the man had got trapped while he was attempting to reach his mooring block on the low tide, in the hope to service it before his boat went back on the water.

Following the deployment of two mud rescue technicians and specialist rescue equipment, the man was pulled to safety and sent to Treliske Hospital where he was treated for mild hypothermia and the after-effects of shock.
Falmouth Coastguard Rescue said: "Using our specialist mud lance, running on compressed air, alongside digging, we successfully released the casualty from his predicament.
"The casualty and all team members were then winched back to the safety of the shore where he was handed over to waiting Paramedics for onward transport to RCH Treliske."

Prior to the arrival of the rescue team, two members of the public had been trying to reach the man using a ladder and a scaffold plank, and were able to get a rope around him.
Falmouth Coastguard Rescue team said: "Although a commendable effort, we really would advise against this approach.
"Not only do you risk putting yourself and your potential rescuer in danger, entering the mud / water / unknown without any specialist equipment, you are also potentially risking the life of the casualty further as the suction of the mud below the surface can be much much greater than expected.
"Using a rope around someone to pull them out can cause serious injury and in some cases, death."

It is advised that if anyone is seen to be in danger around the UK coast, to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Falmout...an-stuck-mud/story-28539410-detail/story.html


I changed the post title, as it was originally ungrammatical and ambiguous!

 

[rynner2]

Boy, 13 rescued from Fleet Lagoon quicksand

A teenage boy had to be rescued after getting stuck waist-deep in quicksand on the coast near Weymouth.
The 13-year-old had strayed from the coastal path onto the sand when he became trapped up to his waist for an hour at The Fleet Lagoon, close to Chesil Beach, just before 11:15 BST.

It took rescuers from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service (DWF) and the coastguard 15 minutes to pull him free.
A spokesman for DWF advised the public "to always stick to the coastal path".
He said it was not believed the boy was injured but was treated by paramedics at the scene as a precaution.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-36293843

The Fleet lagoon separates Chesil Beach from the Dorset mainland. (The coastal path is on the mainland.)
I never heard of quicksands there before.

 

[Skrymr]

Boy, 13 rescued from Fleet Lagoon quicksand

A teenage boy had to be rescued after getting stuck waist-deep in quicksand on the coast near Weymouth.
The 13-year-old had strayed from the coastal path onto the sand when he became trapped up to his waist for an hour at The Fleet Lagoon, close to Chesil Beach, just before 11:15 BST.

It took rescuers from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service (DWF) and the coastguard 15 minutes to pull him free.
A spokesman for DWF advised the public "to always stick to the coastal path".
He said it was not believed the boy was injured but was treated by paramedics at the scene as a precaution.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-36293843

The Fleet lagoon separates Chesil Beach from the Dorset mainland. (The coastal path is on the mainland.)
I never heard of quicksands there before.

Lucky lad

 

[rynner2]

Woman rescued from mud '10 minutes before being submerged'
Anna Varle
BBC News Online Posted at14:45

A woman who was stuck in mud in an estuary has been rescued - just 10 minutes before the tide would have covered her, Coastguards have said.

Emergency services were called to the Gannel Estuary, Newquay on Wednesday afternoon.

Falmouth Coastguard said: "Fortunately with around 10 minutes to spare before the casualty was completely submerged by the tide and with the assistance of members of the public, the person was recovered to the shore, cold, wet and muddy."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-devon-37929377

Newquay is in Cornwall... The Gannel is a sandy drying creek on the south side of Newquay.

Wednesday was just two days after the Supermoon, and the tide heights would hardly have dropped much since.
So the rising tide would have come in at a frightening rate.

 

[rynner2]

PHOTOS: Man Rescued After Getting Stuck In Mud

9:32am 1st January 2017

A man has been pulled to safety after getting trapped in the mud on the Camel Trail.
Padstow and Wadebridge Coastguard rescue teams say he was knee-deep and slowly sinking when they arrived near the Iron Bridge.

They got the shout just after lunchtime on New Year's Eve after a second person managed to scramble free and call 999.
Rescuers say it was "impossible" to reach him by raft or boat because it was low tide - so they managed to use an inflatable path.

Firefighters from Padstow, Wadebridge, Bodmin were also called out, along with the rescue tender from St Austell.

The multi-agency rescue teams worked to stabilise and free the man using specialised equipment and techniques.
He was taken to shore, warmed-up and checked over by paramedics.
But remarkably, he did not need to be treated for any physical injuries or the effects of being stuck in cold mud.
...

Jim Morrison, Senior Maritime Operations Officer, added: “Getting stuck in mud can be a terrifying experience.
"Luckily the tide was out on this occasion but it can often come in very quickly and will flow through gullies at surprising speed.
"This was a great example of multi-agency working and all the teams did a great job of extracting the man quickly and safely. Despite suffering from the cold and wet, he was uninjured.

“We would advise members of the public to take great care around estuarial mud – at any time of the year - 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, do not attempt to self-rescue and call 999 immediately”

A spokesperson from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said: "Fire crews from Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin along with a water rescue team from St Austell were mobilised to assist Coastguard following a report of a man stuck in mud. It was just prior to low tide at the time of the call.
"The teams freed the man from the mud by 1330hrs using an inflatable rescue path, raft and lines. The casualty was left in care of ambulance personnel.
"This incident demonstrates how multiple emergency services work together to help people.
"It also reminds us that great care must be taken when activities take us on or near water and the coast".

http://www.piratefm.co.uk/news/latest-news/2188008/photos-man-rescued-after-getting-stuck-in-mud/

 

[EnolaGaia]

This Boston area nurse went for a stroll on the beach at low tide and ended up stuck and in need of rescue.

Nurse, capturing the feeling of a nation, gets stuck in mud

Camille Coelho just wanted to take a stroll on the beach and look for some sea glass. Instead, the Massachusetts nurse ended up feeling the way so many have felt during the pandemic: she was stuck in the mud.

The 54-year-old was taking a walk at Boston’s Constitution Beach on Thursday when she found herself sinking into the low tide’s wet sand. Soon it was up to her knees and left her unable to move ...

FULL STORY: https://apnews.com/article/boston-c...assachusetts-6279dde5fd303ee923098dd2fc8c1a34

 

[Frideswide]

This Boston area nurse

she seems very calm about it! It's one of my Big Fears - like sinkholes.

 

[EnolaGaia]

When I saw the latest news story above it made me wonder how often such 'stuck at the shoreline' situations might occur. As illustrated by the earlier posts (by Rynner in his long-running 'Lone Coastguard' thread) it happens more than one might presume.

This leads to the Fortean angle ... The stories above represent the best-case scenarios in which the stuck person is noticed and rescued. I wonder how many mysterious deaths and disappearances have resulted from similar circumstances when the trapped person went unnoticed.

 

[Kondoru]

Or were lured to their doom by the dog?

(Doesnt it look innocent?)

Camille Coelho just wanted to take a stroll on the beach and look for some sea glass. Instead, the Massachusetts nurse ended up feeling the way so many have felt during the pandemic: she was stuck in the mud.

My first reaction was `Muddy beach no good for sea glass` but on seeing the picture its a very mixed beach. Therein lies the danger, some patches are safe to walk on, others not.

 

[escargot]

When I saw the latest news story above it made me wonder how often such 'stuck at the shoreline' situations might occur. As illustrated by the earlier posts (by Rynner in his long-running 'Lone Coastguard' thread) it happens more than one might presume.

This leads to the Fortean angle ... The stories above represent the best-case scenarios in which the stuck person is noticed and rescued. I wonder how many mysterious deaths and disappearances have resulted from similar circumstances when the trapped person went unnoticed.

This happens in a Stephen King's The Dead Zone. A hiker steps in quicksand and sinks slowly to his death.
There are no witnesses and the only person with an idea of what's happened is the psychic who handles the hiker's scarf.

 

[Frideswide]

This happens in a Stephen King's The Dead Zone. A hiker steps in quicksand and sinks slowly to his death.
There are no witnesses and the only person with an idea of what's happened is the psychic who handles the hiker's scarf.

Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone has a young woman walking in to her death deliberately. I think it's from reading that at young age that triggered my mud/quicksand grues. Fabulous book.

 

[escargot]

Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone has a young woman walking in to her death deliberately. I think it's from reading that at young age that triggered my mud/quicksand grues. Fabulous book.

Plus, there seemed to be someone dyig that way in every 1960s horror fillum. The Hound of the Baskervilles springs to mind.

 

[Frideswide]

The Hound of the Baskervilles springs to mind.

I had totally forgotten the Grimpen Mire!

I am fascinated by the way that fortean themes are used in, for example, fiction. Which shapes and feeds in to our reactions and so it goes around again.

I do wonder if we ever get a clean reaction to something or if, as Paul Rosen says, everytime somone sets out on a journey we see Odysseus . Only he says it much better than I did, obviously!

 

[RaM]

Several get stuck here on Morecambe bay every year, 2 horses and riders got stuck
2 or 3 years back, thy were rescued but it was looking touch and go for one horse,
here's a pair of them, older much wiser and in need of a wash, and likely a good sleep
they would be absolutely exhausted.
I dragged a lad on a motorbike out of the same place a few years back, he was so done
he could not speak.

 

[escargot]

Several get stuck here on Morecambe bay every year, 2 horses and riders got stuck
2 or 3 years back, thy were rescued but it was looking touch and go for one horse,
here's a pair of them, older much wiser and in need of a wash, and likely a good sleep
they would be absolutely exhausted.
I dragged a lad on a motorbike out of the same place a few years back, he was so done
he could not speak.

View attachment 37923

I also remember the deaths of the Chinese cockle-pickers. Awful business.

 

[Carse]

This happens in a Stephen King's The Dead Zone. A hiker steps in quicksand and sinks slowly to his death

Disappearing slowly under quicksand until only your fingertips are visible is a cinematic trope with very little basis in reality. Due to the density of the human body you can’t sink much further than about up to your waist. That said it can be extremely tricky to get out (very slow and small movements are required) and it’s possible to end up stuck in unusual positions, such as lying prone or on your back. The usual causes of death are exposure or drowning when the tide comes in, as per Morcambe Bay.

 

[Sharon Hill]

Once upon a time, adventurers into unknown lands feared quicksand – a deadly hazard that looked like a sand patch or a harmless puddle. Step in the wrong place, the natives warned, and you would die. This sudden peril became a very useful device in TV and movies from the 1950s to the 90s, and a metaphor for the U.S. war in Vietnam. It’s an old-fashioned trope now but quicksand is a real thing. A curious situation created through soil dynamics makes for some spooky geology.
https://spookygeology.com/trapped-in-quicksand/

 

[feinman]

Once upon a time, adventurers into unknown lands feared quicksand – a deadly hazard that looked like a sand patch or a harmless puddle. Step in the wrong place, the natives warned, and you would die. This sudden peril became a very useful device in TV and movies from the 1950s to the 90s, and a metaphor for the U.S. war in Vietnam. It’s an old-fashioned trope now but quicksand is a real thing. A curious situation created through soil dynamics makes for some spooky geology.
https://spookygeology.com/trapped-in-quicksand/

Spooky sign! I want one! Great for an avatar too.