Family on beach trip rescued by hovercrafts after getting stuck in mud in sizzling 33C heat

A small boy was seen with mud up to his neck
The group had tried to reach the edge of the sea at low tide
BARB Search and Rescue
Olivia Tobin16 July 2018

A family-of-five who were up to their necks in mud have had to be rescued after getting stuck in 33C heat on a beach trip.

Four adults and a child attempted a “challenging walk” to reach the edge of the sea at low tide on Uphill beach, near Weston-Super-Mare, on Sunday afternoon just before 3pm.

The group waded through mud in the scorching heat but became trapped with no water and with the tide about to turn.

Images of the family’s struggle show the young child and adults with mud up to their necks as they were more than half a mile down the beach.

The family had attempted a "challenging walk"
BARB Search and Rescue

BARB Search and Rescue, who came to the family’s aid, said coastguards from Burnham and Weston, two crews from BARB Search and rescue and hovercrafts were deployed to save the group.

A spokesman for BARB said: “The group was given safety advice about the danger of the mud and checked over by paramedics before being released.

Hovercrafts were used to save the group
BARB Search and Rescue

"It was established that the group of four adults and a child were doing OK and had been enjoying a challenging walk and insisted they were in no difficulty.

“Although this was the case, the concerns are that they had been out in very harsh heat without any water and the exertion of walking through the mud can lead to dehydration."

The group had attempted the walk on Sunday
BARB Search and Rescue

"A little-known fact is that even in this heat you can also become cold and possibly hypothermic due to sweating from the effort of walking and then stopping and being covered in mud plus the windchill.”

The family were helped out of the mud, taken onto hovercrafts and flown back to the safety of the beach thanks to the team on-hand to help.

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