Intrigued children sparked a rescue effort after getting trapped a mile off the Shoebury coast as they looked at the sunken Mulberry Harbour.
Thames Coastguard was warned seven children were stuck on the mudflats, at 4.42pm yesterday.
They had apparently walked there to investigate the Mulberry Harbour, a sunken landing device meant to help with the 1944 Normandy invasion which is still visible in the mud at low tide.
Thames Coastguard watch assistant Mark Cooper said: "A member of the public warned us on his mobile phone that several children were in distress.
"Four of them managed to walk back to shore by themselves while he was still on the line. The rest had to be rescued by a lifeboat."
A Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) craft picked up the remaining children.
Published Thursday June 17, 2004
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