I've seen a lot of people on UMD over the years wading around in mud, I've never realised it was dangerous. Not sure how this lady become stuck, she's not named in the article, so I did wonder if this was a messy adventure gone wrong, but I'm glad she was rescued. Guess this highlights the dangers of messing around in mud - Safety first folks!
I think everyone who WAMs in mud should be aware that there is some danger to wading around in deep mud. However, I've often wondered if its the reluctance of "normal people" to get muddy that is their downfall in this situation, and that therefore WAMming may put you at less risk than just wandering into the mud. When I'm "playing" in mud I'll be lying on it, crawling on it, but rarely trying to stand upright on it. Provided you don't try to stand it is, as many people here will know, very hard to sink very deep at all. The reason I think people get into trouble is they are walking across shallow mud, hit a deep patch and as they sink they try hard to stay upright and keep their body out of the mud. This lets them sink to waist deep quite quickly, from which depth it can be quite hard to escape. If they'd only lain down as soon as they felt themselves sinking I strongly suspect they'd have been fine.
I've read a few stories of people getting stuck in mud. If I recall a few around the Burham on sea area in the South West (UK). It just highlights that although inviting, people do need to be aware of the dangers/hazards. This also holds true for any WAM play. Although great fun, we all need to be mindful, as gunge, slime and other substances are very slippy, there is also risks of choking, and substances getting in places they shouldn't. Fun and enjoyment is key, but please stay safe people
I agree with the other posts - I think the strength of the instinct to keep your head and body out by keeping upright is a big part what gets people stuck. Though cold and fatigue play into it too - I've never been worried about getting out of the places I go, but a couple of them are quite physically draining to move around, especially if you had a larger distance to cover.
I remember way back from the 90s, when sinking for pleasure in quicksand was discussed, the advice for getting out was always to lie down and roll, rather than trying to stay upright and walk.
When we dio mud shoots and the girls slide down the mudbanks into the liquid mud at the bottom of a gully, I always tell them to get back out by crawling along like a baby on all-fours, rather than trying to stand up and walk through it, in order to spread their weight and avoid their feet sinking in deep enough to get stuck.
But non-wammers will generally try and keep as much of themselves clean as possible, when in fact the safest thing to do is, as soon as someone realises they are sinking, lie down horizontally to spread their weight as widely as possible and then roll over and over to cross the mud and reach firmer ground.
The places that are really risky are anywhere the tide comes in. In Morcambe Bay there are enormous mudflats that are basically completely flat, and tidal. Which means when the tide comes in, it does so incredibly fast and sweeps the entire area, while also making the top of the mud softer and more sinkable. People have died out there on multiple occasions, it's a well known hazard area. The UK's "gangmaster" laws were created after a group of Chinese cockle-pickers died when the tide came in fast about 20 years ago.
overallsfann said: I've seen a lot of people on UMD over the years wading around in mud, I've never realised it was dangerous. Not sure how this lady become stuck, she's not named in the article, so I did wonder if this was a messy adventure gone wrong, but I'm glad she was rescued. Guess this highlights the dangers of messing around in mud - Safety first folks!
The two main takeaways are: don't go alone (a bit much to ask in many cases, but it has to be said), and do not wear traditional shoes - especially boots. If foot protection is vital, go with beach shoes or footies or whatever. As long as they don't have a sole that can create suction and/or drag.
Love you, too
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