Rescue bid to find father and son

A 41-year-old man has died of a heart attack while trapped in mud off the east Kent coast.

Dover coastguard said the man was on the mud with his 12-year-old son when he collapsed, and the pair became stuck at Pegwell Bay, near Ramsgate.

The youngster alerted emergency teams, watch manager Gordon Wise said.

Coastguards from Deal and Margate were at the incident with police, ambulance and fire crews. An RAF helicopter was also called to the scene.

The pair, who were half a mile off shore, were airlifted to hospital in Margate after the alert at about 1640 GMT, Mr Wise said.

All people should take great care when venturing on to mud Gordon Wise

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "It is understood that the casualty was out on the mud with his young son and had suffered a fatal heart attack.

"The man collapsed and his son alerted the emergency services by dialling 999 and getting through to the ambulance service."

Mr Wise described it as a "very sad incident".

He said anyone venturing out on to mudflats in the current weather conditions with very low temperatures would be liable to greater exertion than in warmer conditions.

"All people should take great care when venturing on to mud," he warned.

The man who died has not been named.