LUCKY-to-be-alive Christian Wheadon visited Padiham fire station to say thank you to the men who rescued from him from a terrifying ordeal.

Christian, 10, was trapped to his waist in clinging mud and had water up to his shoulders after slipping down a bank into the River Calder at Padiham.

"I am just grateful to the people who rescued me,'' said Christian. "It was really frightening; the water was freezing.''

Christian of Fair View Road, Burnley, was at the fire station with his grandfather Robert Holding.

Leading firefighter Nick Sutcliffe said the Fire and Rescue Service wanted to warn others of the dangerous mud at the River Calder at the end of Park Road, Padiham.

He said: "There is a lot of spare land around there. Christian was playing when he slipped down a bank into the mud and water. "It sucked him in and he was in mud up to his waist and with water up to his shoulders. He was terrified and was suffering from hypothermia.

"He was within minutes of losing consciousness and can remember little or nothing of being in the ambulance or at the hospital. He is a very lucky lad.''

Mr Sutcliffe, firefighter Chris O'Brien and leading firefighter Duncan Brown, with colleagues holding on to safety lines, dug for half an hour before Christian was dragged free.

Twelve firefighters and paramedics from Altham helped in the rescue and treatment of Christian who amazingly suffered no ill effects.

He was in the mud and water for an hour before the emergency services arrived.

Mr Sutcliffe said: "Others had tried to rescue him before we arrived. Our advice always is for people to call us out straight away.

"We would rather arrive to find that a situation had been resolved rather than turn up late and be faced with a possible tragedy.''

Christian was shown around the fire station and inspected the fire appliances and equipment used to help in his rescue.

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