Oak Island Fire Department uses ‘Mud Buster’ tool to rescue people in the mud

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — Firefighters in Oak Island are using an ingenious device to help rescue people who get stuck in the mud. 

The device, aptly named the “Mud Buster,” is a small, articulated hose that sprays out water. 

It can be used to help rescue people stuck in the mud along ponds and waterways. 

Here’s how it works: the hose is placed down the leg of the person that’s stuck, and water is blasted out of the hose. The water then breaks up the mud so the person can be lifted out.  

The fire department has already used the device on a man who became stuck in the mud while trying to retrieve a golf ball. 

Fire Chief Lee Price says tides can also make getting stuck more dangerous. 

“So if you were at the end of your dock, and it was low tide and you got stuck waist-deep in the mud, and you’ve got a four-foot tidal area, if you don’t get help, before you know it, you’ll be underwater. So it can be very much an emergency,” he said. 

Chief Price says if you do find yourself caught in mud, try not move too much—because depending on the density—it could cause you to slip deeper.