Emergency services rushed to the rescue of a man that had become stuck knee-deep in mud near Humberston Fitties.
Shortly before 1pm on New Year’s Day, Cleethorpes Coastguard received a call from a member of the public and were quickly on the scene.
The man was situated around 20 feet from the end of a wooden groyne near Humberston Fitties, but it was discovered quickly that the mud was “wetter and more fluid” than usual, making it more difficult to remove the casualty.
HM Coastguard’s Donna Nook Rescue Team, Humberside Fire and Rescue and East Midlands Ambulance Service also attended the rescue, and the man was eventually released. He did not have any injuries, but was suffering from mild hypothermia.
In a post to their Facebook page, Cleethorpes Coastguard wrote: “Humber Coastguard paged the team to our first incident for 2025, after receiving a call from a member of public, stating there was a adult male stuck in the mud, near Humberston Fitties.
Many emergency services helped in the rescue
(Image: We Love Cleethorpes/Facebook)
“The team was quickly on scene and located the casualty, who was only about 20 feet from the end of a wooden groyne near the welfare unit on the bank top.
“Also in attendance was HM Coastguard Donna Nook Rescue Team, Humberside Fire & Rescue Service, and East Midlands Ambulance Service.
“On initial attendance, this would be quite a straightforward extraction of the casualty. Two of our ‘Mud Rescue technicians’ and two Fire Service Techs, using our basket stretcher and two of the Fire Service inflatable platforms.
“The casualty was knee-deep in the mud, however, it was soon discovered that the mud was wetter and more fluid than normal. Meaning, that every time the Techs removed the mud from the casualty’s legs, it ran straight back into the hole, severely hindering the extraction.
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“The casualty was eventually released from the mud, brought back to the safety of the beach, and handed over to the Ambulance crew. The casualty did not have any injuries and was just suffering from mild hypothermia.
“We would like to thank the bystanders on the beach for maintaining a sensible distance from the scene while we looked after the casualty. Please note that during today’s incident, many Emergency Rescue services personnel and a large amount of equipment were present, creating a hazard to members of the public. If we ask you to wait for five minutes and give us room to work, we do it for your safety.
“The mud along that part of our coast, is very close to the wooden groynes, and is extremely fluid and deep. If you find yourself stuck in the mud, remain calm, stay still, sit or lay down to distribute your weight. Please do not encourage bystanders to execute a rescue. They will become casualties.”