Urgent search for woman stuck in Solway estuary mud

An HM Coastguard spokesman said its search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick was called out at about 17:15 on Monday following a report of a woman stuck in mud by the mouth of the River Nith.

He added that Coastguard Rescue Teams were sent from Annan, Burgh-by-Sands and Portling, as well as the Nith Inshore Rescue lifeboat.

Stewart Bryden, senior coastal operations officer with HM Coastguard, said: “There was a report went into Police Scotland last night at about 17:00 – a 999 call that a lady was in difficulty stuck in the mud on the Solway.

“Teams were quickly deployed on to the scene and searched until approximately 23:00 last night with nothing found.”

He said the search had resumed in the morning along with members of police, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Nith Inshore Rescue.

“We have got a lot of mud and quicksand out in the Solway, it is a quick tide,” he said.

“As we know, mud and quicksand moves so it is unpredictable where they can be and how they get stuck.”