Pictured: Pensioner trapped up to his waist in mud after taking shortcut across estuary

The 67-year-old sank while walking across the tidal estuary in Exmouth, Devon.

He slipped deeper into the sinking mud as he walked across the treacherous bed of the River Exe and was left stuck up to his waist.

Muddy waters: The RNLI team help the pensioner on the estuary at Exmouth, Devon

Underway: The rescue team get ready to assist

Out of the sinking: The pensioner is wheeled to safety

The unnamed man was jammed 800m (2,600ft) from shore with the incoming tide rushing in around him and his frantic cries for help went unheard.

He began to wave his arms in desperation and luckily passers-by on the river bank alerted help and a team of eight coastguards raced to his aid.

They plucked him to safety using a winch and then hauled him back to safety on a metal sledge at around 6.30pm on Sunday after a 45 minute ordeal.

Back on dry land: The man is helped to a more secure footing

Eyewitness Fiona Drummond, 49, from Exmouth, said: "I saw him waving frantically. He was half way across the estuary and was trapped almost up to his waist. 

"I immediately rang for help realising he would have been trapped and could have drowned when the tide came in.

"With the help of the winch on the sledge attached to the shore the coastguards pulled him to safety.

"He was covered in thick mud and was seen by a paramedic who was waiting on the beach. The man was local and said he should have known better than to walk where he did.

"He said the mud swallowed him up to the top of his legs and the more he struggled the deeper he sank. He's very lucky - he could have drowned in the incoming tide if he hadn't been seen.

"He was panicking but when the coastguards arrived he calmed down. In the end he looked more like he was waiting for a bus than a coastguard."

A spokesman for the RNLI said the estuary is notorious for sinking mud and warned people against going near the spot: "The situation could have been dire but our team acted quickly and got him to the shore.

"It can be very dangerous and people must be aware that they could easily sink."