Yesterday afternoon, a man became stranded in his kayak, trapped in thick mud near Northern Bridge, Southampton. At around 1.30 pm on Saturday 25 March, the UK Coastguard was called to assist Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service after the kayaker was found far from the riverbank.
The Lymington and Hill Head Coastguard Mud Rescue Teams, supported by the Southampton Coastguard Rescue Team, joined forces with the Fire Service and Hampshire Police. Using specialist mud rescue equipment, they worked through the difficult terrain to bring the stranded kayaker safely back to shore.
Colin Tabor, Station Officer of the Lymington Coastguard Rescue Team, described the operation as “a technically difficult rescue.” He said, “Although the gentleman appeared safe and well and was happy to wait until the tide came back in, he would have had to wait about 8 hours. Thankfully we were able to help him back to shore using our specialist rescue equipment.”
Reports indicate that the man had grounded his kayak in the mud and was seen calmly reading a book while waiting for rescue. After being brought to safety, he was handed over to South Central Ambulance Service for care.
Originally published by UKNIP.
