Hero rescues boys in mud – only to get stuck himself

A HERO neighbour who helped save two young brothers after they became trapped in mud on an Edinburgh building site has spoken of their dramatic rescue.

Sean Urquhart, 45, ran from his ninth-floor flat after hearing the screams of the boys when they became stuck up to their waists.

During his frantic attempts to help the youngsters, Mr Urquhart also became trapped and had to be freed by firefighters using a ladder.

The two brothers, Jack and Peter Wilson, had run into the building site on Greendykes Road, Craigmillar, to find their dog, Sasha, a black Labrador cross, had become stuck in mud just after 7pm on Monday.

The boys, aged nine and ten, also became trapped up to their waists, but a friend managed to raise the alarm.

Mr Urquhart, a father of three, was able to pull one of the boys free before becoming stuck himself.

He said: “I just heard them screaming and I went to see what was happening. I don’t see that as being a hero.

“They were panicking and screaming. I had heard them from my flat and I knew there was something up. I got stuck, but I wasn’t in as bad as them.

“It was up past my knees and pulling me down, it was like squatting with 100 kilos on your back, but I’ve come across scarier things than that.

“They were quite stuck and the mud was up to their waists, I just tried to reassure them until the fire brigade got there.”

The boys and Mr Urquhart received medical treatment at the scene, but all were unhurt. The brothers were taken to hospital as a precaution, but were later released.

Their mother, Tracy Watt, said she owed a debt of gratitude to Mr Urquhart, who is a friend of the family.

She said: “We’re so grateful for Sean being there. I’m still trying to get my head around it – we could have been burying them.

“There’s not many people who would actually do what Sean did, so we’re really thankful.”

Fire crews used a 30ft ladder to reach the trapped man and boy, placing it across the muddy area to act as a bridge.

They then crawled along it to pull the boy and his would-be rescuer to safety.

The muddy building site is part of work to realign the Niddrie Burn and also create a new link road between Greendykes Road and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The site manager yesterday declined to comment on the incident, but said the area was covered by 24-hour security. The site is also ringed by high metal fences.

A fire brigade spokesperson said: “This was a very frightening situation for the two boys who became stuck. They were shocked and very cold by the time they were freed from the mud. A man living nearby had heard their cries for help and went to investigate. He managed to release one boy before becoming trapped himself.

“Fortunately, the swift actions of the firefighters, who were able to assess the situation and affect a rescue using their ladders, meant that all three were released safely. They had a very lucky escape and had the alarm not been raised so swiftly things could have ended very differently.”