The Bay Search and Rescue team attended a Landrover Discovery stuck in the Quicksand just off West Plain marshes at Flookburgh on early evening on Monday 10th May. The 2008 4x4 vehicle with 4 passengers had driven out onto the sands on a pleasant, clear evening and become very firmly trapped in the quicksand after approx half a mile. Despite various efforts to extract themselves the occupants ended up calling on the services of Bay Search and Rescue who responded with their two Hagglund ATERVs (All Terrain Emergency Rescue Vehicles).
The Landrover was quickly towed out by one of the tracked Hagglunds, crewed by the experienced Bay SAR team members. However as it had been stuck up to the bodywork the wheels were extremely packed with wet sand so within a matter of a few metres, and on the very slightest if inclines, it became stuck again. The team of four led by Paul Calland, Deputy Station Officer then hooked it up again and towed it safely to dry sand where the two Hagglunds then escorted the 4x4 back onto the nearest road at West Plain Farm
Paul Calland reported that the occupants of the Landrover were visitors to the area staying at the Haven Caravan site at Flookburgh. They had previous experience of driving their vehicle on sands on the West Coast of Cumbria, but found that the notorious quicksands of Morecambe Bay caught them out, (literally) and they were very surprised when their 'go anywhere' vehicle sank.
They were however even more surprised when they saw the two Hagglund Rescue vehicles drive straight across the myriad gulies and channels of the marshes and foreshore to them. They did not realise until later that these are possibly the only vehicles that will travel safely across this type of terrain and be capable of the recovery of a heavy vehicle gripped in the suction of Morecambe Bays notorious quicksand.
Ultimately though this was a very easy recovery for the team, no harm came to any of the vehicle occupants and even the Landrover simply needed a good wash,. But this could have been a very different story had they still been there a few hours later as darkness fell and the tide came in and completely covered the area. We cannot emphasise enough that although the sands of the Bay look to be a tempting place to visit, on foot or in a vehicle, they have a infamous reputation for catching out the unwary.
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