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Woman rescued from beach says she feels 'pure shame'

Dan Ayers & Bea Swallow
BBC News, Somerset
RNLI Weston Three men in a lifeboat crew uniform. They are in gear with red life jackets and yellow jackets underneath. They are stood in the beach. there are on the seafront with the coastline and sea in the background.RNLI Weston
The RNLI and fire service warned people of the dangers of the mud on Weston-super-Mare's beach

A woman who was rescued by the RNLI after becoming stuck in sinking mud flats says she was blissfully unaware she was "in any sort of danger".

Nineteen people were rescued by emergency services on the shoreline of Weston-super-Mare in north Somerset, on the hottest weekend of the year so far.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service said it used its hovercraft and called on RNLI for support. Everyone was rescued safely and no injuries were reported.

Tammy Facey, who was visiting the seaside from Birmingham, told the BBC: "It was the most confusing thing, we just had no awareness of the risks."

The sinking mud appears on the shoreline at low tide, when fine sediment mixes with water to create a liquefied soil that loses its ability to support weight when disturbed.

Getty Images A triangular yellow warning sign on top of a signpost on Weston-super-Mare's beach, next to the pier. The signs says 'danger, sinking mud' with a silhouette image of a man up to his knees in the sand.Getty Images
The RNLI's lifeboat crews were called to six mud flat rescues on Sunday

Ms Lacey and her nephew had been wading out to meet the tide in an attempt to cool down, but soon realised their efforts were futile.

"It was up to my knees, up to my thighs," she said, describing the sand beneath them as a "muddy bog".

"We were absolutely exhausted and very confused because we thought, 'why are there no [warning] signs?'

"I just realised it would be too tiring for us to swim any further. I thought this is really stupid, we need help," she said.

She added that she felt "pure shame and horror" about having to rescued by the "kind volunteers", who risk their lives to save others.

Close up of woman's face who is sitting in lounge near radiator. She has black curly hair and brown eyes.
Ms Lacey said she could not be more grateful to the crews who came to rescue her

She added that she could not be "more grateful" to the RNLI.

The Weston-super-Mare Lifeboats RNLI Facebook page shared another of the accounts from a person rescued.

"We waded through thigh deep mud for an hour and half to reach the sea," they said.

"We got to the sea and even though I was sinking, I was thrilled the tide was coming in as I thought I could cool down and swim.

"I genuinely was not aware of the danger, it didn't even occur to me to call 999. I feel incredibly stupid.

"I can't thank the RNLI enough. I think it's really important to raise awareness."

In a statement, the RNLI at Weston-super-Mare said: "If you see anyone walking to the shoreline and towards the mud, please warn them of the dangers, you could save a life."

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