Massive Mud Rescue as Woman Trapped by Tide in Kent
A 74-year-old woman sparked a costly multi-agency rescue after becoming trapped waist-deep in mud and cut off by the outgoing tide near Gillingham, Kent, on Friday evening.
20 Coastguards and Helicopter Scramble to Scene
Twenty coastguards teamed up with Kent Fire and Rescue’s mud rescue team and a Coastguard rescue helicopter from Lydd to save the woman, stuck 400 feet out to sea near the Strand Open-air Leisure Pool.
Kent Coastguards were alerted just after 8pm, with fire crews and paramedics also rushing to the scene. The woman’s partner was nearby, stuck on firmer ground.
Helicopter Winch Saves the Day
Officials initially planned to land the helicopter to bring mud specialists directly to her. But fading light and the distance made that too risky.
Instead, the helicopter dropped a winchman on site, who then winched the woman free from the mud and lifted her to safety.
She was flown to Riverside Country Park in Gillingham, where she was checked over by a paramedic and reunited with her husband shortly before 9pm.
Swift Action Prevents Hours-Long Night Rescue
The Coastguard’s quick-thinking plan avoided what could have been a slow and dangerous rope rescue lasting most of the night.
Alongside the twenty coastguards, the Fire Service, Kent Police, and South East Coast Ambulance paramedics all played a crucial part in the dramatic rescue operation.
