Local coastguards rescue 3 adults from Mud in Thorney Channel

- Mon 19th Jun 2006

The evening of Wednesday 14th produced the first "Mud Rescue" of the summer for the local Coastguards.

A 999 call was received at Lee on Solent relating to 3 adults who were stuck in the treacherous mud in Thorney Channel, somewhere south east of Thornham Marina.

Local coastguards rushed to Thornham and assessed the situation.  The adults were stranded in a dinghy and in no immediate danger - but were faced with a 6 hour wait until the tide freed them.  The concern of the Coastguards was that, in their anxiety, they would try and scramble to shore, which would have been extremely dangerous.

Consequently the main Mud Rescue Team (based at Selsey) were called. They arrived within 20 minutes and a team of 10 Coastguards transported all the Mud Rescue gear down to the nearest access point to the casualty - which was a bridge across the causeway some quarter of a mile south of Thornham Marine.

Four volunteers then formed a Mud Team and donned the special mud-protective clothing and boots and ski-poles.  They were roped together and carefully secured back to the Shore Team. They then had the awful job of  wading across the mud to the casualty.   It took the team nearly 15 minutes to travel the 200 yards across the mud, as they sunk in knee deep at each step - and the physical exertion meant that they had to have 2 short breaks during the trip.

Once at the casualty - (a man and two ladies) who were sitting in a small dinghy, the Mud Team put the two ladies into a dinghy and the Shore Team used a powerful winch to drag the boat and the ladies back across the mud to the safety of the shore.   Even this was a problem since there were gulleys running across the mud and the Mud Team had to constantly steady the dinghy to prevent the occupants being thrown out.

By now it was nearly dark - yet the Mud Team had to make one last trip out to the last of the 3 casualties. He too was placed in a dinghy and carefully winched back to shore.

The operation finished shortly before 10pm.  All casualties were fit and well - and mightily relieved!

They say that every picture tells a story - this one is of MUD!

By forum user, HIbot