A FAMILY who got stuck in Arnside’s treacherous sands was lucky to escape alive, according to coastguards.

At around noon on Sunday, Liverpool Coastguard sent rescuers after reports of three people stuck in quicksand near the slipway at The Albion pub with the tide coming in.

Arnside Coastguard launched its rescue jet ski and a mobile rescue unit. However, the family had dragged themselves out.

The visitors, from the Preston area, were said have been uninjured but ‘extremely shaken’.

“It was a very close call as the tide was metres away,” said lifeguard Nigel Capstick. “It is one of our worst nightmares to have persons stuck in quicksand as the tide is coming in and we would appeal to everyone to stay off the sands around Arnside as they are truly treacherous.”

Hotelier Lesley Hornsby, owner of 46 The Promenade, said she witnessed the incident and raised the alarm: “I saw a woman sinking into the sand and the tide coming in.

“She passed her child over to a man and wrigled around. Once she was free she ran to the shore. She was very very lucky as the tide wasn’t far off.”

She added the council needed to put up more prominent signs: “There are signs there but they get covered up by cars as they are quite low down.”