Boy rescued after enduring two-hour quicksand ordeal

A teenage boy endured a two-hour rescue ordeal after becoming stuck in mud and quicksand.

The 15-year-old was out with his family close to Redbank Farm, Bolton-le-Sands, Lancashire, when he got bogged down and could not move.

A family member alerted UK Coastguard on Sunday NZT, but it took two hours before rescue crews could finally free him from the mud.

A video shot from a coastguard helicopter shows crews battling to save the boy.

Holyhead Coastguard coordinated the rescue and sent three local teams and the helicopter to the scene.

The RNLI Morecambe also sent a hovercraft team to help free the boy using specialist mud rescue equipment.

After being saved, the boy was transferred to the helicopter landing site and then on to hospital.

HM Coastguard's advice for people who become stuck in mud is to stay calm and try to spread their weight as much as possible.Fortunately the tide was going out during the rescue effort.

A spokesperson said: "People can find themselves in soft ground either when the surface is so soft that they simply sink to a point where movement becomes impossible, or they break through a layer of relatively firm mud into a soft bubble described above.

"Invariably, with quicksand there is generally little or no warning of transition from firm sand to quicksand.

"People can also require rescue as a result of exhaustion while trying to wade through soft ground for all they may not be trapped. In all cases, the casualty may be at risk from incoming tide.

"The effect in both cases is that when the person tries to pull their legs free they create a vacuum underneath their feet and around the leg which prevents escape and further movement can make the situation worse.

"One immediate measure that can be taken to prevent the casualty sinking further is to sit on the surface of the mud/quicksand, thus spreading the load and may reduce further risk to injured casualties."