A MUM and her five-year-old daughter were rescued from quicksand, mud and an incoming tide at Blue Anchor Beach on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency services raced to the rescue – the first crews were there within four minutes – after the woman called 999. with her child in her arms.

She had been out walking her collie when she became stuck up to her waist in mud and her chest in water. The dog made it safely to shore.

Minehead Coastguard, the Coastguard helicopter from St Athan, in South Wales, mud rescue specialists and two RNLI lifeboats went to the scene. The helicopter arrived in under 15 minutes.

Immediate water rescue was undertaken by Deputy Station Officer Richard Nicholas who was attached to a floating line.

He took the little girl from her mother’s arms and together they were brought back to shore by the Coastguards using a floating line.

Meanwhile, the mother was winched out of the mud by the helicopter. 

The Minehead lifeboats were stood down en route as both casualties and their rescuers were out of the water.

Mother and daughter were then handed into the care of the ambulance service at the nearby Hoburne Blue Anchor holiday park, cold and shocked but otherwise uninjured.

Rescue swimmer DSO Nicholas was also checked over by paramedics as a potential casualty due to the extreme cold of the sea water of the Bristol Channel.

The staff of Hoburne Holiday Park provided a warm environment, showers and towels and clothing to the casualties and DSO Nicholas, and the staff at the Smugglers Inn gave hot drinks to the coastguards and helicopter crews on completion of the rescue.

Coastguard Rescue Officer Simon Bale said anyone who gets stuck in mud should try to spread their weight as much as possible.

If they can reach their mobile phone, they should call 999 and ask for the coastguard. Otherwise, shout for help.

“Before setting out, remember to check the tide times – there are tide tables online – and leave plenty of time to get back before the tide comes in.”

He added: “This rescue incorporated many of the rescue competencies and skills that we regularly practise which includes water rescue, mud rescue, casualty care and helicopter operations.”