ONE of the Chinese cocklers who perished in the Morecambe Bay tragedy made desperate pleas for help on his mobile phone as the tides rose, engulfing his body, a court heard.

Survivor Guo Jin Fu told Preston Crown Court of his anguish as his friend Guo Bing Long made desperate calls to shore asking him to save his life.

When the cocklers arrived at Warton Sands last February after a two-hour journey spent in the back of a van, the Chinese people hurriedly dressed themselves in waterproofs and started running towards the sea because the tide had been out for some time, the court heard.

But the jury was told Guo Jin Fu never took part in any cockling activity because there were not enough waterproofs.

He stayed ashore playing games on his mobile phone until he spoke to Long on his handset some time later.

"He was asking for help and he said to call the police because the tides were rising very fast, too fast," he told the jury.

A record of calls made on the night showed Long had dialled 999 as well as speaking to Guo Jin Fu "many times".

Speaking about one particular call, he said: "I remember when I phoned him he couldn't talk easily because the water had already got into his throat."

In desperation, he went in search of someone who could speak English so they could inform the emergency services of what was happening. He came across another Chinese man on the shore and passed him the phone. He said he asked him to call for help but could not hear what the man said because the noise of the waves was too loud.

The phone records showed a call was made to Lin Mu Young one of the defendants but Guo Jin Fu did not remember making this call, the court heard.

Once he got his phone back, Guo Jin Fu continued to call his friend: "He was in great danger. He was asking me to save his life. He said the water level was very high and he asked me to phone his parents for him."

More calls were made but the durations got shorter and shorter as the tide moved in. One lasted 24 seconds, one four seconds, another six seconds.

"He then died," said Guo Jin Fu.

"I did not want him to die. I still wished he could answer me."

Guo Jin Fu then stayed by the shore until the police came and took him away with a few other Chinese people.

Lin Liang Ren, 29, from Liverpool, denies 21 counts of manslaughter. He also denies perverting the course of justice and facilitation.

His 20-year-old girlfriend at the time Zhao Xiao Qing denies perverting the course of justice and facilitation. Ren's cousin Lin Mu Yong, 31, also from Liverpool, is charged with facilitation.

Father and son David Eden, 61, and David Eden, 33, both from Merseyside, the owners of Liverpool Bay Fishing company, are also charged with facilitation.

Earlier on Wednesday, the court heard that Guo Jin Fu, a steel factory worker in China, had come to England with his friend Long.

Under cross-examination, Guo Jin Fu was asked about an interview he had with the immigration service in October 2004.

He said his parents and other friends had put together 200,000 yen for him to get to the UK. That amount was described as "substantial" and not possible to earn in any reasonable time over in China.

Fu said he feared government officials and the police back in China and that, should he return, he would be be-headed.