“Photo by courtesy of Shirley Betts, http://www.castoncameraclub.co.uk “

Written for the Haiku Heights prompt word “Rescue”

High tide rushes in

trapping cows in the mudflats

Call in the coastguard

The cows got stuck in the mud

Stuck in sinking sand

In danger of drowning, cows

unable to move

We watched this drama unfold on a day at the seaside and I just had to write a little account of it for the grandchildren.  I used to write little stories down for them with photos to encourage them to read.  Now they write stories of their own and are fluent readers at 7 and 9 years old.

Ben and Rosie’s adventure at the seaside

In the Easter holidays Ben and Rosie came to stay at the caravan in Burnham on Sea with grandma and grandad.  The weather was bad and it rained a lot but they still went to play on the beach.

Rosie built a sandcastle with her bucket.  Ben dug 99 holes with his spade.  Grandma caught a shrimp.  Grandad looked for crabs.  We were having fun.  Then Ben saw a little boat and he said, “That boat is sinking grandad”.

Grandad said, “I found a crab but it is dead”.

Again Ben said, “That boat is sinking grandad”.

Grandma and grandad looked but they could not see the boat.

Just then a small rescue hovercraft came along and Ben saw it.  Then a big rescue hovercraft came along and Ben saw it.  They were both orange and black.  The big one was called Light of Elizabeth and the small one was called Spirit of Lelaina. The small hovercraft started to make a loud noise and a cloud of smoke came out of it.  Then it stopped moving.

Ben said, “The rescue boat is sinking grandad”.

This was getting very exciting so grandma said, “If we hurry along the beach we will see what happens”.

Ben let Rosie ride on his orange two wheeled bike, because she could not run very fast.  But the bike was too big and Rosie could not work the pedals, so grandma pushed her along on it.  Ben and grandad walked quickly along the sand, up the steps, over the slipway and down onto the other beach.  Then we all stood at the edge of the water and watched the big hovercraft, the little hovercraft, and the white fishing boat that was sinking.  It was very exciting!

The black rubber skirt around the bottom of the little orange hovercraft had torn.

The belt that drives the big fan on the little orange hovercraft had snapped.

The engine on little orange hovercraft had flooded.

The little orange hovercraft could not move!

First the big hovercraft rescued the little white fishing boat and helped the fishermen get their boat onto a trailer.  Then a 4 wheel drive car towed the trailer and boat safely away.

Then the big rescue hovercraft went to help the little hovercraft.  They put on a new fan belt and tried to start the engine but it would not work because the engine was flooded.  So they tied a long rope to the little hovercraft and pulled it slowly to the beach.  Then all the rescue men pushed and pulled until the little hovercraft was put on a trailer.  Another 4 wheel drive car came to tow the little orange hovercraft away to be repaired.  Ben and Rosie were sorry to see the little hovercraft so damaged and covered in mud.

At last the big orange rescue hovercraft was ready to get out of the water and go back to its home next to the coastguard station in Burnham.  It sailed right to the edge of the beach and the men and a little white dog climbed out.  They tried to get the hovercraft onto its trailer.  They pushed and pulled but it would not move.  Ben said, “The men need help grandad”.  So grandad took hold of the hovercraft and pushed with all his might.  The men pushed, grandad pushed and the little white rescue dog barked.  Then the big orange hovercraft slowly moved onto the back of the trailer.  The men were so pleased that they all cheered and patted each other on the back.  The little white dog was so pleased that he jumped up and down wagging his tail.  Ben, Rosie and grandma were very pleased, and proud of grandad for helping to save the big orange rescue hovercraft.

The rescue men told us they had just rescued a herd of cows that had wandered out of their field and into the River Parrett which flows into the Severn Estuary!  The poor cows were frightened and got stuck in the mud.  That is why the rescue men were covered in mud.

Everyone went home for tea very wet and very muddy ~ but very happy.

The cows were safe.

The little white fishing boat was safe.

The little white dog was safe.

The rescue men were safe.

The little orange hovercraft was safe.

The big orange hovercraft was safe.

Ben can tell his friends at school about it.  Rosie can tell her friends at nursery about it.  And grandma can tell the story to Ben and Rosie over and over again ~ and the story will get better and better!

The End x