Woman trapped on muddy Fleetwood beach rescued by HM Coastguard 15 minutes before tide swept in

A woman was rescued from the beach in Fleetwood after she found herself trapped in mud - just 15 minutes before the tide swept in.

Coastguard crews in Fleetwood shared pictures of the dramatic rescue on Marine Beach at 11.20am this morning (Thursday, January 4).

They were alerted to the emergency after the woman called 999 in a panic after becoming stuck in a muddy part of the beach. She found herself trapped with thick mud up to her knees and unable to move, as the incoming tide gradually made its way towards her.

The coastguard's mud technicians swiftly made their way to the scene and rescued the woman before handing her over to ambulance crews.

She was said to be shaken by her experience and was taken to hospital for further evaluation.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard Fleetwood said: "This casualty did exactly the right thing when she realised she was in trouble and dialed 999 and asked for help.

"Within 15 minutes of the evacuation, the area where she was stuck was under water. The recent storms have washed a lot of mixed and highly saturated sand and mud higher up the beach causing some very dangerous areas. Please be cautious when using the beach." The Fleetwood Coastguard, posting on its Facebook page, added: "We were tasked to Marine Beach area at 11.20am by MRCC Holyhead to respond to a 999 call from a lady stuck in mud.

"Team attended with both rescue vehicles and Lytham CRT. On scene, two of our mud technicians immediately conducted the rescue, since we were also facing an incoming tide, so time was very much against us.

"We then evacuated the casualty from the beach and conducted immediate clinical assessments and care to combat shock and early hypothermia.

"We continued to support the immediate response paramedic who attended whilst waiting on an ambulance. We then handed over care to the ambulance crew and the casualty was taken to hospital for further evaluation."