A grieving teenager had to be rescued by helicopter after getting stuck in mudflats at the sport where his grandfather's ashes were scattered.
Daniel Traynor, 19, got stuck on the clay flats and sank up to his chest for two hours at Minster Cliffs in Sheerness, Kent, where his family had spread the last remains of Jim Traynor.
Eventually, a 13-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man heard his cries for help and alerted the coastguard – but then got stuck in the mud too.
Coastguards and Kent Fire and Rescue Service raced to the scene and rescuers used a rope and shovels to clear mud from around Daniel and free him.
A coastguard helicopter then winched him from the cliff and flew him to Southend Hospital, Essex.
Daniel's mother Traci, 40, thanked the two passers-by, who were freed from the mud and taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
She said: "They are amazing. They are my heroes. I want to give them both a big hug.
"They stayed with him, they tried to help him, they put themselves at risk.
"When you hear so much bad press about kids, you've got a really good couple of kids there."
Firefighter Paul Schembri, from Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "This is a real lesson to everyone to be extra careful when walking on any unstable surface, please stick to tracks and solid ground.
"It may look safe to walk on, but you can quickly become stuck and find yourself in a very dangerous position.
"I also want to appeal to anyone to call 999 if they see someone stuck and in need of help, rather than attempting a rescue themselves.
"I would like to praise all firefighters involved for their efforts in what was a very difficult environment.
"This was a multi-agency effort involving the RNLI, Coastguard, police and ambulance services."