Man stuck waist-deep in beach sand rescued from rising tide

A romantic evening at the beach turned disastrous when a man became trapped in sand as the rising tide threatened to drown him, prompting a midnight rescue effort.

Witnesses said the man had buried his lower half while playing in the sand with his girlfriend at a public beach in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province on Saturday, according to the Strait Herald.

Firefighters were alerted at midnight and found the stranded man up to his chest in sea water as the night tide came in.

Rescuers harnessed the man in a safety belt as they removed sand while locals pitched in by blocking the rising tide with their bodies and foam boards.

Medical workers said the man was weakened by the ordeal but in good condition.