Burnham-On-Sea Coastguards were called to Uphill on Friday evening (November 30th) to rescue a woman who was stranded in deep mud.
Coastguards from Burnham and Weston-Super-Mare were called to the beach at just after 4pm where the unfortunate lady had slipped and fallen from the pontoon and sunk into the mud and become stuck.
A Burnham Coastguard spokesman said: “When we arrived Weston Coastguard were already on scene as were the crews from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the Weston Beach Rangers.”
“Weston Coastguards were quickly in mud rescue gear and within a few minutes she was freed from the suction of the mud.”
“When you place any weight in the mud the force from you treading on it separates the water, sand and mud particles from each other, as you lift your foot they then create a suction as they reform, once this suction is in place it can be impossible to move.”
“The Coastguard mud techs dig around the person and release the suction making it easier to free them.”
“As we approach the colder Winter months being stuck in the wet sticky mud is not somewhere you want to find yourself, it is easy to become hypothermic.”
“Once the Mud techs had freed her it was important not to just stand her up and let her walk off. If you have been stuck in the mud for a prolonged period it reduces your blood flow around those constricted parts of the body and natural toxins build up.”
“If you release those toxins back into the bloodstream too quickly they an overload your body and cause you to become seriously ill.”
“So she was wrapped in a blanket and the fantastic ambulance crew ensured she was monitored before being moved to the warmth of the Ambulance for a better assessment.”
“An accident that took a split second to unfold could’ve spelt disaster. Our specialist equipment and training meant the Coastguards were able to assess, extract, and extricate the woman in a matter of minutes. Great teamwork resulting in a great outcome.”
Pictured: Coastguards at the scene of the rescue on Friday evening (photo: Burnham Coastguards)
Also see:
Burnham-On-Sea Coastguard
