Man rescued from quicksand in Morecambe Bay

A man has been rescued from quicksand in Morecambe Bay, in what emergency teams described as a “close call” as the tide was “rapidly pushing in”.

The Bay Search and Rescue team said the man was lying on his back with only his chest, head, one arm and part of a leg still visible above the sand in Silverdale, Lancashire, when it reached him.

He was exhausted and had hypothermia when he was rescued at 11:30 BST on Saturday, a rescue team spokesperson said.

“As we left the scene, the tide had already begun to fill the gulley – a surreal reminder of just how close this call was,” they added.

A rescue team spokesperson said “because he had laid right he was thankfully not in too deep, but completely exhausted and quite hypothermic”.

“Our crew inflated two rescue air pathways so we could safely reach him,” they added.

“After just a few short minutes, he was safely out and on the pathway and able to crawl up onto dry land.”

They said the man had been taken to the team’s all-terrain vehicle to warm up “as he was extremely cold and showing signs of hypothermia”.

He was assessed by a medic and wrapped in foil blankets then transported to a cafe in Arnside, Carnforth, where he was seen by North West Ambulance Service staff.

A rescue team spokesperson thanked colleagues in emergency services including Arnside and South Lakes Coastguard Rescue Team, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service for their support.