Portsmouth RNLI rescues two people stuck in the mud
Volunteer crew from Portsmouth RNLI were tasked to a mud rescue Sunday 8 March after two people became stuck in deep mud at Farlington Marshes, near the top of Langstone Harbour.
At 9:44am, while the crew were already on station preparing for their routine Sunday training exercise, they received a tasking from HM Coastguard to reports of two people trapped in the mud with an incoming tide.
The D class inshore lifeboat, crewed by Helm Neal Chadwick and crew members Tom Vaughan-Carpenter and Albie Morgan, launched first due to the very low tide and shallow conditions, with the Atlantic 85 lifeboat launching shortly afterwards carrying additional equipment should it be required. The D class lifeboat arrived quickly on scene and located two casualties stuck in the mud. One casualty was trapped up to waist height, while the second had one leg fully stuck and the other partially trapped.
Crew quickly deployed a throw bag to the casualty with a trapped leg and were able to pull them free from the mud. The second casualty required further assistance and was carefully freed using an ambulance pouch, allowing rescuers to slide them across the mud with assistance from colleagues from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service.
Both casualties had been stuck in the mud for up to 90 minutes and were suffering from mild hypothermia. Once freed, the casualties were assisted back to shore where they were met by HM Coastguard and Ambulance Service and checked over as a precaution.
Tom Vaughan-Carpenter Portsmouth RNLI Crew, : ‘It’s always important to check tide times before heading out onto tidal mudflats. These two people did the right thing in calling for help as soon as they got into difficulty calling the Coastguard early is the safest thing to do and helped us reach them quickly.’Both lifeboats then returned to station where crews carried out a thorough wash down of the mud-covered D class lifeboat and equipment. The lifeboats were made ready again for service at 12:30pm.
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The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
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