Mud-trapped teenagers rescued off the Isle of Wight

Two teenagers trapped in mud for several hours on a lonely Solent shore led to Cowes RNLI lifeboat contributing to a land, sea and air rescue effort on Sunday evening.

In fast fading light the teenagers, a girl aged 15 and a boy 16, became stuck in cloying mud at Thorness. After launching at 5.20 pm Cowes lifeboat found the youngsters immobile in very cold water up to their knees, which was slowly rising towards their waists.

Also to the scene went an independent lifeboat from Gosport, Isle of Wight firemen, Ventnor and Needles coastguards, an ambulance and – just in case it was needed – a coastguard helicopter from Lydd, Kent.

The girl was the first to be extracted, followed sometime later by the youth. Each were carried to the shore by stretcher and provided with very welcome blankets.

Cowes lifeboat returned to station at 8.50 pm, when the crew set to work with high pressure hoses to rid the craft and their kits of ever-present Thorness mud.

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