£Thousands Rescue as Pensioner Trapped in Kent Mudbank
A dramatic multi-agency rescue mission swung into action tonight to save a 74-year-old woman stuck thigh-deep in mud and cut off by the outgoing tide near Gillingham, Kent.
Coastguards and Helicopter Scramble to Mud Rescue
Just after 8pm on Friday, twenty Coastguards, Kent Fire & Rescue’s mud team, and a Coastguard rescue helicopter from Lydd raced to the scene by the Strand Open-Air Leisure Pool. The woman was stuck 400 feet out to sea in thick mud, with her partner safely on firmer ground nearby.
Initial plans to fly mud specialists directly to her failed due to fading light and distance. Instead, the helicopter pilot dropped a winchman down to the woman, who then winched her free from the mud.
Quick-Thinking Saves Precious Time
The rescued pensioner was flown to Riverside Country Park in Gillingham, where she was checked over and reunited with her husband shortly after 9pm. Officials say the speedy helicopter rescue saved hours — without it, rope access methods would have taken the whole night.
Alongside the twenty Coastguard officers, Kent Police, the Fire Service, and a paramedic from South East Coast Ambulance all pitched in to bring the pensioner home safe.
