Firefighters rescue teenagers stuck in ‘quicksand’ mud

Two fire engines, a technical response unit, and a water incident unit were called to the incident on Monday, February 12 – with crews using ropes to rescue the trapped women from the mud.

Izzy Anthony was walking her Springer Beagle, Bailey, on the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal towpath when she and her friend, Katie Osborne, became stuck in the mud.

Speaking to The Bolton News, the 17-year-old described the horrifying experience, which left her and her friend stuck for more than an hour.

Izzy said: “It looked like hard mud, but it was like quicksand. The fire brigade got called and they had to come and lift me out, I lost my favourite pair of shoes in the mud – they were Adidas Ozweegos.”

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While stuck, Izzy said she started to experience panic attacks.

She is now trying to forget about the incident and is going to change where she walks her dog.

She added: “I had a lot going on: the fire brigade was ringing me non-stop trying to get hold of me, my friend was on the phone to the fire brigade, my dog was stressing out.

“My dog actually escaped from the lead.

“I thought they wouldn’t be able to find me, because it’s a very remote place. I used to go there as a kid but it wasn’t as dangerous.”

The incident happened near the canal towpath (Image: Google)

She added: “I couldn’t feel the bottom of my legs, I couldn’t move, it was squishy when you stood on it, but once you got down it was hard and you couldn’t get out.”

Izzy wants to see more paths built for safe walking routes, and signs or fences erected to warn people of the danger of mud in the area.

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Others stuck in the mud too

On the ‘Growing up in Little Lever’ Facebook group, fellow resident Nicola Pelling said that she, too, had become stuck in the mud in the same area – adding that she would never go near it again.

She commented: “I got stuck in that mud a few months back, thankfully got myself out by lying down omg was caked in mud!”

Resident Claire Ramsden replied: “it’s awful isn’t it, we did a few years further along.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “At just before 5pm on Monday, February 12, two fire engines from Farnworth fire station, a technical response unit from Leigh fire station, and the water incident unit from Heywood were called to an incident off Mytham Road in Little Lever, Bolton.

“Firefighters rescued two females from thick mud next to a riverbank using rope equipment with crews in attendance for around one hour and 15 minutes.”

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