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Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team was called to assist HM Coastguard Crosby on Sunday

A man trapped in coastal mud in the North West of England was rescued by emergency services with mere minutes to spare after the rising tide saw water close in within two metres.

The rescue operation occurred near the River Alt in Merseyside, where the Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team was called to assist HM Coastguard Crosby on Sunday.

The response followed reports a person had become stuck in mud near the river.

The situation was treated as urgenurgent becausetide was coming in.

Coastguard rescue officers deployed onto the mud used specialist rescue equipment before working alongside Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to reach the stranded person.

The man was successfully freed from the mud and brought back to safety, where paramedics then assessed the casualty at the scene and confirmed that no further medical treatment was required.

Southport Offshore Rescue Trust, also known as Southport Lifeboat, was alerted during the incident but was stood down before launching after the man was safely recovered.

HM Coastguard Crosby said the terrain near the sailing club and river is "difficult to work in even in ideal conditions, never mind with a flooding tide quickly approaching the casualty".

A Wirral Coastguard spokesman praised the coordinated response of the emergency services, describing it as another example of Coastguard Rescue Officers, firefighters and ambulance crews "working together to bring an incident to a safe conclusion".

The team also issued safety advice to anyone who becomes trapped in mud, stressing that people should remain as calm as possible and avoid struggling, as excessive movement can cause them to sink further.

Members of the public who see someone trapped in mud are also urged not to enter the area themselves, as they could become trapped and create a second emergency.

Instead, anyone witnessing an incident should seek professional help immediately.

The coastguard said people caught in a coastal emergency should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Tidal mud poses a serious danger to coastal residents and visitors, and those caught in distress should always seek specialist assistance rather than attempting a rescue without the appropriate equipment and training.

The River Alt runs through areas including Croxteth Park, West Derby and Maghull before flowing into the River Mersey.

Earlier this year, Mersey Rivers Trust, in partnership with Knowsley, Liverpool, and Sefton Councils, launched a landmark £2.1million environmental initiative to reduce flood risk and restore the natural landscape along the banks of the River Alt.

Backed by funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the River Alt Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project aimed to implement sustainable solutions ranging from leaky dams in Huyton to sand dune management at Hightown.

As part of the effort, £465,000 was allocated to deliver vital interventions across nine key sites along the river.

Knowsley Council has warned residents of flood alerts on several occasions, notably in 2025 when Storm Claudia struck the River Alt from Formby to Huyton.

This occasion saw a tree land on a bungalow amid high-speed wind and rain.