The late-night rescue of a pensioner who fell into freezing water at Arbroath Harbour is just the latest drama in a busy spell for the local lifeboat crew.
The man, in his early 70s, was saved after being seen floating on the water at the entrance to the harbour by the crew of a fishing boat as it came in to dock around 11pm on Wednesday.
The crew called the coastguard and dropped a rope to the man until help arrived. He clung on until the crew of Arbroath inshore lifeboat got there minutes later to pull him out.
The man was said to have been very cold and was being sick following his ordeal. He was given first aid by crew members at the lifeboat shed before being taken by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital.
The man is believed to be suffering from hypothermia and it is still not known how long he was in the water.
A spokesman for the Forth Coastguard said, “Some of the crew on board the Crystal Tide had managed to throw a rope to him. Luckily he was very close to the lifeboat station so the rescue took place very quickly. He was very cold and a bit sick.”
Crystal Tide skipper Sam Swankie said one of his crew spotted “someone in the water” as they went to tie up. Mr Swankie believes the man would have died had they not come across him when they did.
“He was moving but he was on his back and I don’t think he had much left in him,” he said. “He was very cold and if we hadn’t got him he could have been a goner. He was able to hold on to the rope until the lifeboat came for him.”
Mr Swankie said the dramatic rescue marked a first for him. He has been involved in searches for boats before but this was the first time he has been involved in such a rescue.BusyThe lifeboat has been kept busy over the last few days with an array of incidents that has put the crew’s seafaring and first aid skills to the test.
On Friday the crew were called out to a man who was in trouble in the harbour after jumping in. Volunteers received a pager message at 1.40pm and were on scene in less than a minute to retrieve him and take him back to harbour.
Crew carried out first aid before the man was taken to hospital by ambulance.
On Saturday the all-weather lifeboat crew were called to assist a 47-foot yacht that got into trouble 18 miles from the station after it lost its main steering. The adverse weather meant it was vital for the crews to respond as quickly as possible and they were on scene within the hour.
The volunteer crew then escorted the vessel back to harbour. Fortunately no one was injured and the lifeboat crew were back at the station at around 10pm.
Both crews were again called out on Sunday to assist paramedics at Arbroath cliffs after a 42-year-old woman suffered suspected spinal injuries. The woman stumbled down the crumbling Seaton Cliffs, between Arbroath and Auchmithie, near the Needle’s E’e.
Despite not falling far, she landed awkwardly halfway down the cliff, and complained of a lack of feeling in her upper body and numb hands. She was later airlifted by a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter to Ninewells Hospital.