TWO children and their father had to be rescued after getting stuck in mud as freak weather conditions enveloped the Dee Estuary. While most of the region basked in temperatures topping 20°C, mist and fog sent temperatures plummeting off the Wirral peninsula. Lifeboat crews at Hoylake and West Kirby were alerted in the afternoon as poor visibility left some people stranded in mud. A brother and sister, both about 10 years old, were taken to Arrowe Park hospital suffering from hypothermia, after being found stuck in mud with their father at Hilbre Island, in cold fog. A coastguard spokesman said last night: “It has been very cold out there. People with families have been going out there for the day in summer clothing thinking it’s hot, and they don’t realise that it’s very cold because of the fog. All along the coast there have been fog problems. “Two Wirral children have already been taken to hospital and the large rescue operation continues to search for people. “We know there are people out there so we will continue to look for them. People are lost in the fog at Hilbre Island, on the Dee estuary. Visibility is very poor out there. A lot of the Wirral rescue team are out there looking for people, including Hoylake and West Kirkby teams.” Weather forecasters predicted the Wirral’s weather would have “mist and fog patches clearing then becoming very warm and mostly sunny with a maximum temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.” Access to Hilbre Island is by foot, across the two miles from West Kirby. The island is cut off from the mainland by the tide for up to four hours out of every 12, and people who are planning a visit to the island are encouraged to allow enough time so they can leave Hilbre at least three hours before high water, or longer if they are with small children or walk slowly. It takes about one hour to cross the two miles to Hilbre Island, or people can set out from West Kirby at least three hours before high water and allow for a stay of five hours or more on Hilbre. Guidance on Wirral Council’s website reads: “The weather can change very quickly, and expos- ure can occur even in summer.” The cold weather on the Dee was in sharp contrast with the weather across the rest of the region, as large numbers of tourists went to Crosby beach to see the Gormley statues, and people flocked to Liverpool’s parks with picnics to sunbathe and play football. The coastguard had 24 incidents to attend yesterday, well above the Sunday average, which is usually six. Two yachts got lost in the Crosby channel in the fog and rescue teams were alerted. One yacht had two people on board, the other had four. All six people were brought back to land safely. A man’s jetski broke down in the Crosby channel due to a mechanical fault. He was found clinging to a buoy by rescue teams. Temperatures in the city reached 20° Celsius, and eight degrees Celsius overnight. Today’s forecast for the region is for much cooler and cloudier weather with some patchy rain or drizzle, but some sunny spells developing during the evening, and a maximum temperature of 15°C.
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