A MOBILE phone became a lifeline for a father and son when they became trapped by the rising tide on the River Medway near Lower Halstow.

The man, aged 40, and his 11-year-old son had been wild fowling and had intended to shoot a few ducks when they were stranded yesterday morning on Slayhills Marsh.

Sheppey auxiliary coastguard Ian Goodwin said: "They had a lucky escape only because the father was able to alert the emergency services on his mobile phone. Eventually they were recovered by the Sheerness inshore lifeboat who found the man with his son on his shoulders in water up to their knees and they were in danger of drowning by the rapid flood tide.

"They were rescued and brought back to land at Ham Green where they were met by a team from the Coastguard who were preparing for a full mud rescue.

"This was the second time the man said he had been caught by a rising tide. He said he had checked the tide timetables and he thought the north westerly wind would keep the tide at bay sufficiently for him and his son to go out on the marshes."

The man's two Springer Spaniels were also rescued. They are all now recovering back at their home in Canterbury but the man did not want to be identified.