Three people stuck in the mud off Two Tree Island on Saturday night lit up their phone torches so the Southend RNLI hovercraft could find them in the dark.

Three people stuck in the mud near Two Tree Island were rescued by Southend’s RNLI hovercraft on Saturday evening. They used the torches on their mobile phones to show the crew where they were as the light went.

HM Coastguard called out the Southend-on-Sea lifeboat volunteers at 6.30pm on Saturday 10 October, to reports of three people stuck in the mud near Hadleigh Ray. The crew launched the inshore rescue hovercraft H-004, Vera Ravine (RNLI release, 11 October 2026).

How the rescue went

The RNLI’s account sets out the evening in order:

  • the hovercraft headed for the reported position as fast as the low light allowed
  • on the way, the Coastguard told the crew the three people were in contact and knew help was coming
  • the three signalled with their phone torches, which showed the crew exactly where they were
  • the crew picked their way across the mud and gutways, the channels that cut through it, and found them about 200 metres off the east end of Two Tree Island
  • the three were helped aboard and taken to Bell Wharf in Old Leigh, where the Southend Coastguard team was waiting
  • the hovercraft was stood down and back on station at 8.30pm

No injuries are mentioned in the release.

The crew was commanded by volunteer Dave Hopper. “The soft mud around in certain spots in the Thames Estuary can catch people out, and it’s easy to get stuck and need help,” he said.

He said the three had done the right things. “The casualties called the Coastguard as soon as they realised they were in difficulty with the light fading. They thought quickly and used their mobile phone torches to get our attention and show us exactly where they were, which was a great help in these challenging conditions.”

Why Southend has a hovercraft

The station has two boathouses, one at each end of the 1.25-mile pier. One holds a B class and a D class inshore lifeboat; the other holds a D class lifeboat and the hovercraft (Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station). Saturday’s call was its second launch in five days. The station’s launch log shows the hovercraft also went out at 3.59pm on Tuesday 6 October. Saturday’s launch is logged at 6.31pm.

The station covers about 15 miles of shore, from Shoeburyness to Canvey and beyond, and is one of the busiest RNLI stations in the UK and Ireland, the charity says.

What it means for you

The RNLI says deep, soft mud surrounds many of the creeks and gutways of the Essex coast. Its advice for anyone walking the shore or tidal areas:

  • Know the area. Local knowledge of the tidal creeks is essential, and deep soft mud surrounds many of them.
  • Take a phone. If you get into trouble, call 999.
  • If you get stuck, do not struggle. It makes things worse. Sit down to spread your weight, then call or signal for help.
  • Call early. The three people on Saturday rang as soon as they knew they were in trouble, before it was fully dark.

The station at the end of the pier has a viewing gallery for visitors. Check the pier opening times before you go.

The Southend RNLI crew are volunteers. In September we reported a long-service award at the station.

Sources