The emergency services were called out to a family who had become trapped in mud with incoming high tides over the weekend near Burnham-on-Sea.
The Burnham-on-Sea Search and Rescue Team as well as the Coastguard were called out to Brean Sands after multiple 999 calls on Friday, July 29.
The family included a number of children as well as their dad and pregnant mum.
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Due to the “potential seriousness” of the incident, the Coastguard from Weston-super-Mare as well as Avon and Somerset Police and the Avon Fire Service were also called to the scene.
The family were reportedly a “fair distance out” and “nearing the water” at 4.43pm.
A spokesperson for the Burnham Coastguard team said: “The tide was low and there wasn’t long left before it turned and started to come back in.
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“The speed of the tide is very quick and if you are slowed down by the mud then you won’t out run it.”
The Search and Rescue team subsequently launched a hovercraft from the beach to approach the scene rapidly.
However, the family had managed to wade back to safety onto the beach by the time the Coastguard arrived.
The Coastguard spokesperson said they were “wondering why there was such a large response as they felt they were perfectly safe”.
They said: “This is a good example of how when we are on holiday we can easily let our guard drop and not recognise the dangers around us.
“We don’t want any negative comments regarding the family as we are only pointing out how easy it is to end up in a situation when we feel more relaxed in our beautiful surroundings.”
The Search and Rescue Team confirmed no further action was required and described the response as a “good multi-agency incident with a positive outcome”.
The Coastguard spokesperson continued: “This shows how seriously we take these kinds of incidents when there is a reported danger to life.
“Don’t forget if there is an emergency at the coast, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, getting the right service can save time and in these situations every second counts.”
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