Copyright manchestereveningnews
A man found himself in a terrifying predicament when he found himself sinking in quicksand on a Lancashire beach, with only his head and arm visible by the time a search and rescue team arrived. The Bay Search and Rescue team were alerted to a man stuck in quicksand near Silverdale at around 11.30am on Saturday (October 25), with a high tide rapidly approaching. On the team's Facebook page, a spokesperson said: "Very quickly we came across the casualty who was lying on his back in a soft gulley - at first glance only his chest, head, one arm, and part of one leg still visible, but because he had laid right he was thankfully not in too deep, but completely exhausted and quite hypothermic." To reach the man, the team inflated two rescue air pathways. They then relayed his exact location to another team in Holyhead. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE One pathway was placed behind him to prevent him from sinking deeper and the other in front was carefully placed in order to free him, reports Lancs Live . A spokesperson continued: "We immediately transferred him into the Sherp for rewarming, as he was extremely cold and showing signs of hypothermia. Our medic assessed him and wrapped him in foil blankets whilst moving swiftly to a safer place for transfer. "As we left the scene, the tide had already begun to fill the gulley - a surreal reminder of just how close this call was. "The casualty was transported to the Bob In Café ahead of the flooding tide, where he was handed over to NWAS (North West Ambulance Service) for further assessment." Quicksand generally occurs in areas with a high water table, or large tidal areas. These areas can include beaches as well as marches and riverbanks. They can become dangerous when people become stuck which can lead you to becoming exposed to rushing water. Commenting on the Facebook post, one person said: "Well done, that must have been an awful experience for the chap and one that could have ended very badly." Another wrote: "Well done to all concerned, amazing outcome of which could have been alot worse. Great to see how all the emergency services work as one team for a positive result." A third added: "Huge thanks to all involved in this rescue. Hope this man is recovering well."
