Blyth rescue: Three teens pulled from mud as the tide rises to their chins
Three teenage girls have been rescued as water rose to their chins after they became stuck in mud.
The four girls had been playing alongside the River Blyth on the evening of Saturday 10 June when one became stuck up to her knees in mud of the estuary.
Two friends also became stuck while trying to help, a fourth managed to raise the alarm.
The Blyth and Newbiggin Coastguard Rescue Teams carried out a snatch rescue and pulled the girls from the mud but the water had already risen to their chins.
The girls were treated by the ambulance service.
Alan Armstrong, station manager for the Blyth Coastguard Team, said: "The children got stuck very easily, very quickly and I understand it's a natural reaction for people to go in and try and help their friends but we stress, do not enter that water or do not enter mud. You simply become a casualty yourself, as we saw in this instance.
"When you're out on these rivers, especially the time of night it was on a Saturday evening, they were lucky that someone was passing by that was able to contact the coastguard, because it could've been a different story."
The Blyth Coastguard building is only a short distance away and a coastguard was able to get to the scene swiftly.
The Maritime and Coastguard agency advises that estuarial mud can be very dangerous so people should stay away and if anyone is stuck, they should spread their weight to stop further sinking and witnesses should call 999.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...