The dramatic moment two people had to be rescued from the mud after getting stuck at Shellness Point. Picture: Alex Goodspeed

by Emma Grove

egrove@thekmgroup.co.uk

An RAF helicopter flew in to rescue two researchers stuck in the mud off Shellness.

Les Suttcliffe, 50, and Sarah Birkett, 30, who work for Hull-based Precision Marine Survey Ltd, were freezing cold but uninjured and were able to make their own way home.

They had been stuck up to their knees after walking out onto the mud flats as part of their research.

Nicky Frewin, who is a warden at the Shellness Estate with her partner Alf Packham, saw the commotion and was able to assist paramedics with her 4x4.

The 40-year-old said: "It's quite a steep hill to get up there so I took two of the paramedics up.

"I had seen the couple walk along earlier.

"Where they were is a horrible sort of place to get stuck - it's really gloopy and horrible but luckily the tide was out.

"We know what the mud is like and you do have to be very careful.

"The helicopter landed on the football pitch and the patients were there for a while warming up but they went off in their own car.

"It could have been a lot worse."

Sector manager for North Kent Coastguard Colin Ingram said the two of them had been quite well prepared for the conditions but they were lucky as initially their location was given as Harty.

It was only that some of his team were nearby removing a porpoise which had washed up that they found them quickly.

He also said it needed to be a quick rescue as the tide was starting to come in.

He added: "They had got the bottom of their legs stuck and although they were able to get themselves out of their boots so the pressure was not on their legs, their boots were left in the mud so they couldn't walk back."

Precision's director Jim Allen said: "They were very grateful and said the guys did an excellent job."