A COUPLE have described the terrifying moment their 32ft yacht sank in mud off the Lytham coast and how a dramatic rescue operation saved their lives.

Michael Ginty, 60, of Sandringham Close, Roe Lee, Blackburn, said he was almost crushed by the yacht and his wife Sue, 53, nearly drowned after getting stuck in mud as she fled the sinking vessel.

Coastguards said Sue was 10 minutes from death as they and firefighters led a race against time to free her before the tide came in.

Social services worker Mrs Ginty had called 999 from her mobile for help while she faced the rising tide at around 8am on Thursday morning.

Mr Ginty was able to move and dragged a ladder over to his wife which he balanced on as they waited for help while the tide began to come in rapidly.

She was successfully released just after 9am after firefighters and coastguard used inflatable walkways to reach her safely and pull her out.

Colin Brown, Coastguard Watch Manager, said: "From the time we got her out until the tide got there there was 10 minutes so we had 10 minutes to spare.

"If we couldn't get her out, short of getting scuba divers, it could have been a lot worse.

"She may well have died but as things were our guys and the fire brigade helped them out."

The trouble had started on Wednesday night when the yacht had got into trouble when a rope got tangled around the propeller.

They called for help and were escorted to what was thought to be safe sand at Central Beach.

However the yacht was too heavy and when engineering manager Mr Ginty was underneath, it started to topple.

He managed to get out and shouted to his wife who was in the galley making tea.

Mrs Ginty clambered out to walk to the shore some 400 yards away but got caught fast.

Paramedics took Mrs Ginty to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for a check-up in case of hypothermia but she was unhurt and returned home with her husband soon after.

Mr Ginty said: "We had to abandon ship and as we got out it just sank and the more my wife moved the worse it was.

"The tide was coming in as well and they got to her in the nick of time.

"It's lethal there. It could have been a different matter.

But if we'd have stayed in the boat there was a chance the boat would sink so we couldn't risk stopping with the boat so the decision was made to try and head for the shore."

Mrs Ginty said: "The water had gone just above my knees and I had to stay still but the water was going in my wellingtons so my feet were swelling and very cold.

"The water was coming in and in about quarter of an hour or 20 minutes we'd have been underwater. It's quite scary."

A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The tide was starting to rise so there could have been a tragic outcome.

"It was a joint approach. It's something they often rehearse for so it's a situation they were prepared for."