WESTON-SUPER-MARE volunteer lifeboat crew had an early wake-up call when they were called to a man stuck in mud on the beach at 5.50am.

On Sunday, May 29, a man was wading through the mud to reach the sea for an early morning swim between Anchor Head and Birnbeck Island when he got stuck, and the lifeboat vehicle was launched.

After locating the man near Marine Lake causeway, volunteers made contact with him, and after checking that he wasn’t injured, he was able to return under his own steam.

Deputy Launch Authority Brian Ward said: “The combination of the speed of tide and the deep sticky mud, can catch you out so quickly and a situation will rapidly become life threatening.

“We at Weston Super Mare Lifeboat Station cannot stress enough how dangerous walking in the mud is.”

Avon & Somerset Police had requested that the Lifeboat be launched, due to the tide that had started to come in, and  concern for the man’s safety.

Awaiting the man ashore were officers from Avon & Somerset Police and Members of the Weston Super Mare Coastguard Team.

The Lifeboat Crew made their way back to the station to begin the long wash down of the launch vehicle and the Lifeboat, before heading home for some breakfast and then returning to the station for the day’s training that began at 9.30am.

In 2013 the Weston-Super-Mare lifeboat had to leave their lifeboat station on Birnbeck Island as the access pier had become too dangerous, and they now reside in a temporary station at Knightstone.

This news comes after a similar situation occurred at Brean Down recently when three people got stuck wading through the soft sand.

The trio were unable to move in the mud, and the BARB search and rescue hovercraft was mobilised to come to their aid.

After that incident, Mark Newman of BARB search and rescue, said: “This is a warning to people of the dangers of mud on the beach.

“We advise people to always check tide times, and stay away from soft sand on the beach.”