Rescuers scrambled in mud drama

An RAF rescue helicopter and police and Broads Authority boats were called into action yesterday to save a man who got stuck in mud while searching for a lost ring.

An RAF rescue helicopter and police and Broads Authority boats were called into action yesterday to save a man who got stuck in mud while searching for a lost ring.

The call to Breydon Water in Yarmouth was made at 2.45pm when coastguards and police were alerted to the man's plight.

Gorleston Inshore Lifeboat and Coastguard Rescue Team were both paged and Broads Authority and police craft patrolling the water were diverted to find the man, who was reported as being stuck waist-deep 500 yards from the nearest footpath.

Due to difficulty in reaching him, an RAF rescue helicopter from Wattisham was scrambled but was turned back when it turned out the man had managed to free himself and crawl to safer ground where police and coastguards advised him on the dangers of his actions.

He told them he had been searching for a ring in the mud and had lost one of his shoes.

Wayne Brunning, acting watch manager for Yarmouth Coastguard, said: “This could have been a far more serious incident, and the man was lucky he was able to free himself from the mud.

“Wandering around alone on very soft mud on a rising tide is a recipe for trouble, and we would advise that no property, no matter how valuable, is worth risking your life for.”