A STRANDED dog and its owner were rescued after they got stuck on a muddy bank at Uphill. 

BARB's rescue hovercraft flew out to help the pair just after noon on Thursday (July 20) after reports came in that a dog walker was trying to rescue his pet from thick mud by Black Rock. 

Weston and Clevedon Coastguards were called out alongside BARB who initially flew out in their rescue hovercraft to bring the dog owner to a hard sand area. 

The Burnham rescue crew then flew out and rescued the very muddy Springer from what they said was 'a particularly dangerous area of mud by the River Axe.'

A spokesman for BARB Search and Rescue said: "They were challenging conditions even for our hovercraft, given the thick mud and deep gullies.

"The mud-soaked dog was eventually returned to its very grateful owner.

"The incident was another great example of close team working in difficult conditions."

A spokesman for the rescue team added that dog owners should never put themselves at risk to reach animals and advised them to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.