THE coastguard helicopter was called to help a dog walker stuck in the mud in Highcliffe.

Paul Barrett, 64, was out walking in Highcliffe when he saw emergency services at the scene.

Mr Barrett said: “We were walking along the beach going from Highcliffe up towards Milford and we saw the emergency vehicles there.

“The ambulance was in attendance as were several coastguard vehicles and they cleared part of the beach.

“There appeared to be people cut off by the tide and a coastguard had got down to them.

“The rescue helicopter arrived and lowered the winchman down.

Bournemouth Echo:

“They called for a stretcher and one casualty was winched into the helicopter. It then landed on the top of the cliff at Highcliffe. He was transferred to the ambulance.”

Mr Barrett said he first saw the emergency vehicles at around 12.50pm and the helicopter arrived shortly after 1pm.

He said the helicopter left at approximately 1.30pm.

The casualty was a local woman walking her dog who became stuck in the mud and began to sink.

Her husband, who asked not to be named, said: "She took the dog for a walk. One of the problems we have had is the footpath is closed so my wife walked along the beach.

"She walked onto the area that became very unstable because of the mud and she began to sink in the mud.

"I went down to help her and we called the coastguard.

"The reason they had to get the helicopter, where she had been in the mud for about two hours, she couldn't walk.

"But the reason people walk along there is because they can't walk along the top of the cliff. That's ultimately what has caused this incident."

He added: "I just want to say how brilliant the emergency services were."

A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "Just after 10.20am today (November 19), HM Coastguard had a 999 call for assistance from a member of the public reporting that someone was stuck in the mud near the Crows Nest at Highcliffe.

"Coastguard rescue teams from Lymington, Poole and Southbourne were sent together with the Coastguard’s search and rescue helicopter from Lee on Solent and the ambulance service.

"Coastguard teams with specialist training in mud rescue techniques rescued the person from the mud. The casualty was then airlifted by the helicopter to a landing site at Lymington and passed into the care of the waiting ambulance."