Girl gets stuck in beach mud
A TEENAGE girl was rescued by emergency services after becoming stuck in black mud at newly-opened Rippleside Beach yesterday.
The girl became stuck in mud while playing with her younger brother, an Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said.
She was taken to Geelong hospital in a stable condition with injuries to her knee and ankle.
The rescue unfolded about 3.30pm yesterday, with more than 100 people watching on.
An SES spokesman said the 15year-old was able to be pulled from the mud quite easily.
The girl was stuck in mud up to her knees, a CFA spokeswoman said.
Thousands flocked to nearby Rippleside Park for annual Australia Day celebrations.
Rippleside Beach officially opened only this week following a $4 million upgrade by the developers of Bal- moral Quay in partnership with the State Government.
The sand extends 20m from Rippleside Park to the water, with a one-in-10 gradient beneath the waves to the natural seabed.
However, the beach is not being patrolled, with swimmers directed to use Eastern Beach as the nearest area patrolled by lifeguards.
Signage at Rippleside Beach warns of soft mud and against swimming.
Four hundred truckloads of sand were dumped on the beach as part of the upgrade. A 600m waterfront promenade has been constructed, connecting Rippleside Beach to St Helens around the Balmoral Quay development.