Quicksand warning as river changes course

Safety warnings have been issued after a river changed course at its estuary making swimming at a popular beach "even more dangerous".

The mouth of the River Aln moves regularly and is currently flowing further north across Alnmouth beach in Northumberland.

Coastguards said quicksand could form along the estuary where, in 2022, they rescued a teenager who became stuck.

Howick station officer Ian Woods said: "We would strongly advise people to stay away from the estuary and its banks."

"The estuary runs at about 6mph and top swimmers can do about 4mph, so you're not going to be able to swim against it.

"The banks are dangerous too because where you've got a river estuary you can have quicksand and once you're stuck you become hypothermic very quickly."

Mr Woods said he is not just concerned about the risks at Alnmouth, adding: "We have no lifeguards on any beach in Northumberland.

"Beaches like Embleton and Bamburgh are notorious for undercurrents and rip currents which can form very quickly.

"The key is never go into the sea alone, stay within your depth and make sure someone is watching you at all times."

Holly Bird, 34, an experienced open water swimmer, has organised water safety events run by the RNLI at Seahouses, but still found herself caught in a rip tide at Bamburgh beach.

"It was a boiling hot day and there were quite a lot of waves so I thought I'd swim out beyond the surf," she said.

"Suddenly I realised I couldn't get back to shore and I was swimming as hard as I could but getting nowhere."

She used a tow float to stay on the surface and called to nearby surfers for help, but warned: "One minute you're fine, the next you're in deep trouble."

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