Traumatised family rescue 7-year-old son from drowning in mud at a public park in Cheshire
This is the moment a traumatised family escaped from sinking mud in a public park - which came up to their necks.Megan Nolan jumped into the mud with partner Chris Knight to rescue her seven-year-old son Jake Nolan.He had climbed a tree in Carrs Park in Wilmslow, Cheshire, fallen off into some mud below - and started to sink very quickly.The mud reached up to their necks and shoulders before they were able to get Jake free and pull themselves to safety, Megan said.Megan, 28, said: "It just looked like normal hard mud."I still cannot believe it now. It was like a scene out of a movie.
I didn't even know such mud existed."All I can remember is seeing Jake's face bright red and him screaming and my other little boy Lewis stood on the side shouting 'mummy' and 'Jake it's ok '."They are both traumatised, as are me and Chris. We woke up the next day speechless and just couldn't get over the whole situation. "I don't want anybody to go through that with a family member or a pet as I would never forgive myself."Megan, Chris and Megan's boys Jake and Lewis, seven and nine, were celebrating Father's Day with a stroll through the park at about 7.30pm last Sunday (20/06).Schoolboy Jake was still playing while the other three walked back to the car when optical assistant Megan heard him shouting.She said: "I feel guilt that I let him run on but what seven-year-old boy doesn't like to wander and explore."We were just strolling back to where he was before, but 15 seconds later the screams got louder and you heard the panic in his voice. "We ran to him to find him up to his chest in sinking mud screaming."Whilst trying to climb a tree, Jake had fallen in what looked to be a shallow pool of water just off the side of the path, which turned out to be deep.Stepdad Chris, 31, leaped into the mud to his rescue, expecting it to only reach his knees, but found he sunk all the way down to his shoulders.Megan also sank with the mud up around her shoulders.The terrified mum said: "We instantly dropped in the mud when we reached it running to Jake. "With every bit of power in my body I managed to get my foot on to what felt like a hard bit of mud and I put my fingers into the ground above me and pulled myself up. "Chris was screaming that he was stuck and for me to get to Jake because he can't move. "All I could think about was getting to my son - I didn't care about me, I didn't even try to help Chris, I just wanted to get to Jake and get my baby."I managed to pull myself up and run round to where Jake was and drag him out."Meanwhile, concreter Chris managed to yank himself out of the sludge using a branch.Thankfully all of the family were safe, but lost two pairs of shoes and some sunglasses to the mud.Mum-of-two Megan added: "Lewis had a panic attack and we had to stop the car on the way back and get him out the car as he was uncontrollable. "He said he couldn't do anything and he thought he was going to lose all of his family."Megan said she contacted the National Trust - which owns the park - and has been told her case has been passed on to a ranger.She said: "I feel 60 seconds later my son could have been in a much worse situation and a nice family night out ended in horror."
This is the moment a traumatised family escaped from sinking mud in a public park - which came up to their necks.Megan Nolan jumped into the mud with partner Chris Knight to rescue her seven-year-old son Jake Nolan.He had climbed a tree in Carrs Park in Wilmslow, Cheshire, fallen off into some mud below - and started to sink very quickly.The mud reached up to their necks and shoulders before they were able to get Jake free and pull themselves to safety, Megan said.Megan, 28, said: "It just looked like normal hard mud."I still cannot believe it now.
It was like a scene out of a movie.
I didn't even know such mud existed."All I can remember is seeing Jake's face bright red and him screaming and my other little boy Lewis stood on the side shouting 'mummy' and 'Jake it's ok '."They are both traumatised, as are me and Chris.
We woke up the next day speechless and just couldn't get over the whole situation.
"I don't want anybody to go through that with a family member or a pet as I would never forgive myself."Megan, Chris and Megan's boys Jake and Lewis, seven and nine, were celebrating Father's Day with a stroll through the park at about 7.30pm last Sunday (20/06).Schoolboy Jake was still playing while the other three walked back to the car when optical assistant Megan heard him shouting.She said: "I feel guilt that I let him run on but what seven-year-old boy doesn't like to wander and explore."We were just strolling back to where he was before, but 15 seconds later the screams got louder and you heard the panic in his voice.
"We ran to him to find him up to his chest in sinking mud screaming."Whilst trying to climb a tree, Jake had fallen in what looked to be a shallow pool of water just off the side of the path, which turned out to be deep.Stepdad Chris, 31, leaped into the mud to his rescue, expecting it to only reach his knees, but found he sunk all the way down to his shoulders.Megan also sank with the mud up around her shoulders.The terrified mum said: "We instantly dropped in the mud when we reached it running to Jake.
"With every bit of power in my body I managed to get my foot on to what felt like a hard bit of mud and I put my fingers into the ground above me and pulled myself up.
"Chris was screaming that he was stuck and for me to get to Jake because he can't move.
"All I could think about was getting to my son - I didn't care about me, I didn't even try to help Chris, I just wanted to get to Jake and get my baby."I managed to pull myself up and run round to where Jake was and drag him out."Meanwhile, concreter Chris managed to yank himself out of the sludge using a branch.Thankfully all of the family were safe, but lost two pairs of shoes and some sunglasses to the mud.Mum-of-two Megan added: "Lewis had a panic attack and we had to stop the car on the way back and get him out the car as he was uncontrollable.
"He said he couldn't do anything and he thought he was going to lose all of his family."Megan said she contacted the National Trust - which owns the park - and has been told her case has been passed on to a ranger.She said: "I feel 60 seconds later my son could have been in a much worse situation and a nice family night out ended in horror."
