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Eastern 042/01
14 January 2001

DRAMATIC MUD RESCUE AT ORWELL BRIDGE
 Pictures courtesy of Ipswich Evening Star

Two schoolboys aged 11 and 14, were airlifted to hospital by rescue helicopter after they became stuck in mud while digging for bait on 8 January 2001.

The youngsters waded out about 50 metres before they began to sink into the mud and were unable to free themselves. One of the boys became trapped up to his shoulders while the other had sunk up to his chest.

The emergency services were alerted at about 12.30pm and firefighters using ladders and ropes made their way to the boys and were able to free them before they were winched to safety by the RAF rescue helicopter as it hovered beside the Orwell Bridge.
Firefighter Stephen Long said: "It was a fairly lengthy and protracted operation using ladders and lines and we would have been in trouble without those as we were sinking ourselves".

A spokesman from the Wattisham based RAF rescue helicopter said that on their arrival the fire brigade had already reached the boys, so we winched them up and took them to hospital.

Thames Coastguard sent the mud rescue team from Felixstowe to the scene in case they were needed to assist with the rescue.

"The cold was the main problem with the boys who were both shivering, having been stuck in the mud for a little while."

A coastguard spokesman said: 

"People have got to be aware of the local conditions; if you are going to go out bait digging, be aware there could be soft sand or mud anywhere. Particularly with the weather of late, a lot of sand and silt will have been moved and you will get a lot more soft patches."


Orwell Bridge.
Orwell Bridge on the outskirts
of Ipswich, Suffolk