Farmer saves sheep from quicksand in Morecambe Bay

A sheep trapped in quicksand at Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, was rescued earlier this week thanks to the swift action of a local farmer, who responded before emergency teams were needed.

At about 11.20am on Tuesday (22 April), the stranded animal was spotted by members of the public, who chose not to attempt a rescue themselves and instead contacted Holyhead Coastguard.

The coastguard alerted Bay Search and Rescue (BSAR), which has an accredited large animal rescue team, which in turn contacted local farmer Peter Wilson.

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Gary Parsons, commanding officer of BSAR, explained: “Many farm animals have a sixth sense and know when to leave an area if adverse weather is coming – particularly around Morecambe Bay when the tide is coming in – and they retreat to higher ground.

“But on a frequent basis, some animals do get trapped by the very soft sands of the bay which are notorious for their grip.”

With the animal located not far from Mr Wilson’s land, the coastguard suspected it may have belonged to him.

“Peter Wilson, a local farmer from the Flookburgh area, is well versed with having livestock trapped by the shifting sands and, like ourselves, he is equipped with a water pump to release the grip of the sand around the animal and is no fool when it comes to tackling the treacherous sands,” said Mr Parsons.

“He is one of a handful of farmers around the bay who have become experts at recovering their livestock from this treacherous area.”

BSAR described Mr Wilson as a farmer who “goes the extra mile, because that’s what farmers do for their livestock”.

The sheep, a mother, was successfully reunited with her lambs.

BSAR praised the public on social media for acting responsibly by not attempting to reach the sheep themselves.

“Caring members of the public called the coastguard when they came across the stricken animal, but thankfully didn’t attempt to get the animal out.”

In a message to the public, BSAR reminded anyone who spots someone or an animal in difficulty along the coast to “dial 999 and ask for the coastguard – they will get trained teams to help you”.