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Dramatic moment couple spark full-scale rescue after getting stuck in quicksand up to their waists just yards from the shore
The man and woman were pulled from quicksand in race against high tide
Their pet dog managed to free itself from the beach at Sandside, Cumbria
Coastguard and MPs warn people to stay away from 'dangerous' bay
A couple had to be rescued in a race against the high tide when they found themselves trapped waist-high in quicksand on a Cumbrian beach.
The man, 46, and woman, 25, screamed for help as they began to sink - only a fortnight after a 14-year-old girl became trapped at the same spot.
The woman was submerged up to her waist and the man stuck from his knees down before they were pulled from the quicksand on Sunday afternoon in a 40-minute rescue operation.
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Their pet dog also became trapped in the mud at Sandside, overlooking Morecambe Bay, but managed to free itself.
They were close to a sign that reads: 'DANGER Beware fast rising tides, quicksands, hidden channels.'
Local man Craig Woodburn, 27, threw a lifebelt to the couple while his wife Julie drove off in search of another one.
He and off-duty police officer Belinda Friend shouted advice and kept onlookers away from danger.
'The tide was due in so it was very scary, but I did what anybody else would have done,' said Mr Woodburn, who had been celebrating Father's Day with his wife and son Alfie at the nearby Ship Inn pub.
'I've lived round here all my life and know the dangers. I've been in difficulty on the sand myself as a child. You just don't walk there.'
The coastguard and local MPs have warned that people could die on the sands following two rescue operations within a month.
Nigel Capstick, Arnside station manager, said: 'After the incident two weeks ago, we predicted another would happen, although we never expected the conditions to be this bad.
'If people don't listen to the warnings someone will die on the sands.'
He praised Mr Woodburn's actions, saying: 'It's important that people who do the right thing are recognised.
'A lot of people walk past and don't help those in trouble and Craig deserves credit.'
Mr Capstick said sand in the area tended to solidify within minutes of someone getting stuck so gallons of water had to be injected into the ground to loosen it.
He said a combination of heavy rain and shifting channels has caused conditions to worsen.
On the day of the rescue the sands were 9ft deep.
'The quicksand was horrendous,' he said.
'It was a lake of sand. I have never seen it so bad. People do not realise how lethal it is.'
Cedric Robinson, the Queen's Guide to the Sands warned residents to stay away from the bay because he had never known it to be so dangerous following the rescue of the 14-year-old girl.
Conditions were so bad that rescuers' equipment sank in the quicksand and could not be retrieved.
The couple, who have not been identified, were freed at 4.10pm and treated for shock at the scene.
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, spoke of his 'relief' that nobody died during the rescue, but said: 'This latest incident is a reminder that we're not far off.
'Local people know how dangerous the sands are but I think local authorities need to raise the awareness of tourists that the sands are beautiful but incredibly dangerous.'
Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris said he would table a parliamentary motion to highlight the dangers of Morecambe Bay and urged anyone wishing to cross the sands to go on a guided tour instead of going it alone.
'I am concerned there have been two high profile incidents on the sands,' he said.
'I think it is imperative that visitors know that while we have some of the most beautiful views in the world here, the sands can also be dangerous.'
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