A Pitlochry woman has been honoured for bravely rescuing a woman in Orkney.
Linda Sinclair was working on the islands in July 2023 when she saved a distressed woman from the water off Inganess Beach, near Kirkwall.
The BBC radio journalist was recognised on Thursday night’s Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards 2024.
The 53-year-old’s selflessness and determination were praised, which police say saved the woman’s life.
Linda described the dramatic rescue to The Courier. She said: “We saw a woman who was clearly distressed and I thought, ‘this doesn’t look good.’
“I flagged down a guy in a car and he phoned the police, who turned up quite quickly.
“However, nobody was doing anything or intervening to help this lady.
“I said, ‘look, I’m going to go in after this woman.’
“The police checked I was a strong enough swimmer, which I was, and I swam out to her.
“I engaged her in a conversation and, after five or 10 minutes, I managed to persuade her to swim back to the shore.
“Then she gave me a huge bear hug when we got to the shore.”
‘I couldn’t stand by and watch this woman suffer,’ says Pitlochry hero
Linda felt rescuing the woman was an instinctive response.
Police in Orkney nominated her for a royal humane award, which she received in 2024.
She was later put forward for a Chief Constable award for outstanding bravery.
Despite the recognition, Linda admitted she felt “uncomfortable” with the recognition for helping someone in distress.
She added: “I couldn’t stand by and watch this woman suffer – I had to go and help her.”
“At the end of the day, it’s about her and the fact she was in a distressed state.
“I just wanted her to know somebody cared for her.”
Conversation