Emergency services called out to rescue man stuck in coastal mud flats in Lincolnshire
A man has been rescued from mud flats along the Lincolnshire coast after a member of the public raised the alarm.
HM Coastguard Mablethorpe, the RNLI and Lincolnshire Police were called out to reports of a man in difficulty on the salt marshes at Saltfleet at around 10.15am on Sunday, May 17.
Due to the low tide that morning, Mablethorpe RNLI's inshore lifeboat was unable to access the area - so Coastguard members trekked across the muddy area on foot to reach the man.
The whole rescue mission took four hours – with Coastguard crews finally standing down at 2.19pm.
“Upon arrival, the casualty was visually located using the first informant’s spotting scope,” a Coastguard spokesperson said.
"Once the casualty was reached, it became apparent they were located on the west side of a large muddy creek. This meant specialist mud rescue capabilities were required, and assistance was requested from our colleagues at Donna Nook Coastguard Rescue Team and Cleethorpes Coastguard Rescue Team.”
While the additional teams made their way to scene, crews gave the man water and blankets and assessed their condition.
“Once our colleagues arrived, the mud rescue technicians safely made their way across the muddy creek and successfully extracted the casualty back to the shoreside,” the spokesperson continued.
“Following extraction, a full initial casualty assessment was carried out before a slow and controlled evacuation across the salt marshes was completed to a waiting ambulance.”
They added: “As always, if you see someone in trouble at the coast, on the beach, along the shoreline, or in the sea, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police - who were called to the scene, but not directly involved in the rescue - said the Coastguard teams demonstrated “expertise” on what was “incredibly difficult terrain”.
"Navigating mud, deep creeks and unpredictable ground conditions, they executed a calm, controlled, and highly skilled operation, demonstrating exactly why their specialist training is so vital in these environments,” the force said.
“It was a real insight into how they operate safely and effectively where others simply couldn’t. Thanks to their professionalism and teamwork, the casualty was successfully recovered, and carefully carried back to the car park, where further support was offered.”