Person stuck in quicksand at sea yells ‘I’m sinking’ before desperate RNLI rescue

This is the moment an RNLI crew wrench a person stuck in quicksand out at sea free.

With the tide rising and panic setting in the casualty can be heard shouting ‘I’m sinking’ as the volunteer crew spot them stuck at waist height off Rhyl beach, north Wales.

The volunteer crew were paged at dusk on Friday after the person called to be rescued from the charity’s lifeboat.

By the time they arrived the person was all alone with waves lapping at their chest and helicopters arriving.

With minutes to spare one RNLI crew member hops out behind the casualty and leans them back.

They are put in a lifejacket and told to lean back which manages to free one of their stuck legs from the quagmire.

The casualty was then recovered into the lifeboat and brought back to the lifeboat station for a check over and a cup of tea.

Dougie Lonsdale, who was onboard leading the rescue, said: ‘Conditions on the coast can change in seconds, with tides and quicksand being serious and often invisible hazards.

‘In this instance the casualty did everything correctly by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard and staying calm.’

The number of open-water deaths during the recent heatwave has now climbed to 17.

The latest confirmed death was 16-year-old Lillianna Tomlinson who was recovered following a roughly hour-long search along the River Tame near Warwickshire’s Kingsbury Water Park on Monday, May 25.

Her family said: ‘We’re deeply saddened to be writing that Lillianna’s life has been taken in the most tragic way.

‘Our family is completely devastated and will be forever heartbroken.

‘We would like to take a moment to sincerely thank our community for the love, compassion and support that has been shown to us, and for sharing in our grief – it means more than words can express.’

Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on May 24.

Emergency services were called to the area at 2.30pm on May 24 after reports that Declan had entered the water and was missing.

Also on May 24, a 72-year-old woman died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, at around 3.15pm.

A 13-year-old boy, understood to be Reco Puttock, died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on May 25.

On the same day, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach to save his granddaughter in Cornwall.

On Tuesday, South Yorkshire Police said they had recovered a body 48 hours after launching a search for an 11-year-old boy after he went into the River Don, near Mexborough in South Yorkshire.

Mackenzie Swift was last seen entering the water on Saturday evening and the alarm was raised when he did not emerge.

Record May temperatures were recorded last Tuesday in England and Wales but it has dropped to average for the time of year with thunderstorms and cooler temperatures expected.

In light of the recent deaths, the RNLI has published guidance on how to improve your chances of survival in the water.

‘(Floating) has helped save the lives of more than 50 people in all sorts of situations. From children in rip currents to runners falling into canals, from people swept out by waves, to fishermen falling overboard,’ its website states.

‘The best way to float is to tilt your head back with your ears submerged. Try to relax and breathe normally. You can gently move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to.

‘Spread your arms and legs out to improve stability – and it’s OK if your legs sink, we all float differently. Once your breathing is under control, call for help or swim to safety. Practise floating in a supervised location like a swimming pool.’