Teenagers rescued from mud

Jun 5 2008 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A RESCUE operation was this week mounted after two teenagers became stuck in mud.

It happened in Strathclyde Park on Monday afternoon.

The 15-year-old boys were walking near a wooded area and pond on the Motherwell side of the loch.

They decided to explore undergrowth near the Roman Baths when they got into difficulties.

One of the boys was stuck up to his waist and couldn’t free himself from the clinging mud.

The other teenager was trapped up to his knees but managed to get to safety and alert police using his mobile telephone.

The police helicopter was scrambled and scoured the park for the boys.

And infra-red imager was used to locate the boys, who were in dense undergrowth.

The rescue operation involving both police and firefighters lasted an hour.

Crews used buoyancy aids in the rescue operation.

A police spokesman said: “We received a call at 1.15pm on Monday alerting us that they were in trouble.

“The two young men were taken to Wishaw General Hospital as a precaution and one of them was treated for an ankle injury.”

A spokesman from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue added: “We received a call to attend an area of the park between the car park and Roman Baths.

“Two young men were trapped in mud and unable to get themselves out.

“The boy stuck up to his waist managed to turn, and he lay on his back so that he wouldn’t sink any further.

“A firefighter and police officer scooped away the mud around his legs and pulled him to safety.

“One of the boys received attention at the scene from paramedics.

“Presumably, the heavy rainfall on Sunday caused the ground to become softer and stickier than usual.

“The boys were unable to free themselves once they walked into the soft ground.”

Three fire engines from Motherwell and one from Hamilton were sent to the rescue operation at the park.

The spokesman added: “The whole thing was over by 2.20pm.”