A WEEKEND cruise down the Bristol Channel came to an abrupt halt on the notorious mudflats off Blue Anchor for a couple from Weston-super-Mare.

Malcolm and Jackie Elmer from Worle had to be rescued by coastguards, while Minehead's lifeboat crew was called out to take charge of their yacht after disaster struck.

The Elmers had set off from Uphill aboard their 19-foot Seawitch yacht Beth last Saturday morning for an overnight stay in Watchet Marina.

But the vessel, which was being skippered by 56-year-old Mr Elmer, hit a mudbank off Blue Anchor in the afternoon and lost its rudder.

The couple and their pet dog tried to get ashore in the boat's inflatable dinghy because Mrs Elmer was feeling unwell as the yacht was being pounded by waves.

But, although initially rowing across shallow water, they soon found themselves struggling through deep mud.

The situation was not helped when one of their paddles snapped in half.

Battling against the ebbing tide, the dinghy was soon pushed away from the shoreline and was left stranded on the mudflats as the tide disappeared.

Realising the mud was deep, the couple stayed in the inflatable but had no means of calling for help as their handheld VHF radio had been left on the yacht, to which Mr Elmer had planned to return.

Luckily, concerned onlookers, who had been watching the events unfold, raised the alarm.

A local coastguard team from Watchet arrived at the scene and made contact with the stranded sailors by loud hailer, confirming they were not injured.

The decision was then made to get them back to shore amid fears that the later strong tide and wind could blow the dingy over.

Deputy station officer Ian Wedlake volunteered to venture into the mud, armed with the team's rescue sledge and wearing specially designed 'Mudders' boots which prevent the wearing sinking into mud.

He attached a line to the stranded dingy which was then pulled back to shore.

Coastguards concluded it would be unsafe to allow Mr Elmer to row back to the stricken yacht and it was later towed into Watchet Marina by Minehead's Atlantic 85 lifeboat.

RNLI local operations manager John Higgie said the Elmers were not the first sailors to fall foul of the treacherous conditions in Blue Anchor Bay.

"It's a very deceptive area, particularly at low tide when it may look as though there's plenty of water but in fact there may only be a few inches in depth - and there's a huge expanse of very deep mud before you can reach anything like a solid beach," he said.

"It's really not a very pleasant place to be caught."

Minehead's second lifeboat, the D-class, was also drafted in to help in the incident, initially to secure the drifting dinghy.

The Elmers were taken to Watchet's coastguard station. where they were given a warm drink before later being reunited with their yacht in the marina, where repairs were carried out to the rudder.

A coastguard spokesman said a sea safety check revealed the vessel was in good order with all the necessary safety equipment on board apart from distress flares.

"This was an unfortunate accident where the rudder snapped and, with loss of control, the yacht ran aground in shallow water," said the spokesman.

"The crew intended to row to the shoreline but were caught out by the fast ebbing tide, leaving them high and dry in the mud.

"They did exactly the right thing by remaining in the dinghy and not entering the mud which can easily trap anyone trying to wade through it.

"The best advice in these circumstances is to call for assistance."

Minehead lifeboat's Atlantic's crew was called out again on the same day to rescue a windsurfer who was unable to get back to the beach after encountering rough seas off Warren Point, Minehead.