A DOG walker who became stuck up to her knees in mud on Bradwell beach as the tide flooded in up to her waist has spoken of her relief after being rescued by RNLI volunteers.

Lucien Cruse, who lives in Maldon and is a presenter on local radio station Caroline Community Radio 94.7 FM, was walking along the beach at low tide with her dogs and family on the afternoon of Sunday, 25 October, when they found themselves sinking in the mud.

Lucien was stuck fast, but her mother and brother managed to get back to the beach and raise the alarm.

Stuck in the mud for 40 minutes as the tide came in

"I tried all sorts of ways to get out of the mud, including commando crawling forward, but I was just solidly stuck in there,'" said Lucien.

"I spent a good while trying to get out but the tide was coming in. Through all my wiggling I managed to get stuck up to my waist in the mud and the tide came in and surrounded me, which was quite scary!"

The West Mersea Lifeboat 'Just George' arrived within 10 minutes and the volunteer crew freed Lucien from the mud by digging around her and lifting her out. She had been in the mud and water for around 40 minutes and was suffering from severe cold, so she was wrapped in a thermal sheet to warm her up.

"The lifeboat crew were amazing."

"The lifeboat crew where amazing," said Lucien. "They gave me blankets and water and called an ambulance. The coastguard brought down two trucks and were looking after me too. The fire brigade also turned up with two fire engines."

Paramedics checked Lucien for hypothermia and deep vein thrombosis and she was given the all-clear to return home.

"I'd like to say a massive thank you to the RNLI and coastguard who looked after me so well," said Lucien.

"When I returned home I made a donation to the RNLI and had some cakes made for them."

West Mersea Lifeboat station said: "Upon arrival the crew found the casualty stuck up to their knees in mud on a flooding tide, which was already up around their waist. Members of the lifeboat crew were able to free the casualty before handing them over to Essex Fire and Rescue and South Woodham Coastguard Rescue Team.

Lucien Cruse co-presents a show for the Maldon District and Essex coast with Kevin Butler on Caroline Community Radio 94.7 FM on Wednesday evenings at 8pm from the station's studios in Burnham-on-Crouch.