A muddy mishap on a tidal riverbank in the UK turned serious Sunday as the tide began rolling in. Emergency crews were called to the River Alt near Blundellsands Sailing Club in Sefton, Merseyside, where a man had sunk up to his knees in mud and could not free himself. HM Coastguard Crosby described the area as challenging terrain “even in ideal conditions,” made worse by a fast-rising tide closing in on the trapped man, per the BBC.
Coastguard teams, working with fire service crews, entered the mud as the water was only about six feet from the man, according to one team. He was pulled out with specialist rescue equipment just in time; the BBC reports that “rising waters almost engulfed him.” The man, checked over by paramedics, did not require hospital treatment. Officials say others who become trapped in mud should avoid struggling, which can make matters worse, per the Wirral Globe. Bystanders are urged to call for help, rather than enter the mud themselves.