Sticky rescue at River Ouse Newhaven

Upon reaching the location, the rescuers observed the gull stranded in the mud about 25 meters away from the closest viewpoint during low tide.

Despite the bird's attempts to fly, the rescuers noticed fishing line near its mouth, tangled around a tree branch partially buried in the sand. Recognising that the tide was rising, they understood they had a limited window to save the gull before it could be submerged.

Keith, who was born in Newhaven and spent 38 years of his early life in the town, was well aware of the dangers associated with the mud.

“At first glance, the mud may appear stable, but it's actually quite precarious and one can quickly find themselves knee-deep or even waist-deep in just a few steps. Therefore, I concluded that it was too risky to venture to the gully.” he said.

A rescue plan was devised to bring the seagull to safety. Sarah remained atop the harbour wall to provide support, while Keith moved as close as he could while ensuring a stable footing.

A lengthy reach and rescue pole with a net was employed to hook onto the branch and extract it from the mud. Adjusting their position, they drew the branch and seagull closer until they could capture and free it from the fishing line. Although not an ideal rescue process, the gull was swiftly rescued causing minimal strain on the fishing hook and the gull's beak.

The fishing hook had lodged in the gull's beak and was left for WRAS's Care Team to delicately extract at the charity's Casualty Centre. Upon return to the Centre the gull was examined and the hook removed, and, despite being muddy and exhausted, the gull seemed to be in good condition after the ordeal.

Several baths will likely be required to clean off all the mud and time will be needed for the wound to the beak to heal, before it can hopefully be released back to the Harbour.

Please support East Sussex WRAS to undertake such rescues by donating to WRAS’s Summer Appeal. You can donate at https://donorbox.org/summer-staff-appeal

Reg Charity 1108880.