A man who became stuck in the mud had to be rescued by firefighters and volunteer lifesavers as the tide raced in.

Emergency services were called to Ferry Road in North Fambridge after the man became stuck.

Fire engines from Maldon, South Woodham Ferrers and Leigh raced to the scene at 4pm on Saturday.

The man had stepped off a boat and fallen into the mud.

Water trained firefighters used inflatable paths to get access to the man and then had to dig the mud from around him to release him.

Burnham RNLI and South Woodham and Canvey Island Coastguard Rescue Teams were also called to the scene.

The Atlantic lifeboat with four crew responded to the call.

Ian Scott, lifeboat helm, said: “The concern was that the tide was rising and 20 minutes after he was freed the water was covering where he had been.

“We were there ready in case we were needed.”

Mr Scott said there had been concerns if conditions changed the man could have been crushed by his own boat.

“In the end the fire brigade managed to get him out,” he said.

“It was one of those situations which could have got interesting if it had been half an hour later.

“When I looked around for the briefing there must have been about 30 people there.

“The fire crews had to use an air gun to inject air into the man’s waders to get the pressure of the mud off his legs.

“They managed to get him out but the waders are still there.”

Mr Scott said anyone who found themselves in difficulty in the water or mud should call 999.

Scott Barnard, Coastguard Rescue Officer, said: “It is important to note that with the incoming tide, time was against us.

“However thankfully the informant did not delay their call for help, allowing the rescue teams to safely extricate the casualty from the mud using specialist equipment approximately an hour before the tide would have reached him.”

An ambulance crew attended and assessed the man at the scene, but he did not require hospital treatment.

Mr Barnard added: “If you become stuck in mud our advice is always the same stay calm, try and spread your weight as much as possible and avoid moving. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

“Anybody trapped should also discourage other wellmeaning members of the public from attempting to rescue them because without the proper equipment they could become stuck too."