A teenager is lucky to be alive after being pulled to safety by emergency crews after being trapped to his waist in mud at a Fife beauty spot.
Fire crews, police, paramedics and two specialist water rescue teams were scrambled at around 9.30pm on Wednesday to Lochore Meadows Country Park.
A passing cyclist discovered the stranded teenager after hearing his calls for help.
Two crews from nearby Lochgelly Fire Station, as well as specialist water rescue teams from Glenrothes and Perth stations were alerted at 9.30pm and dispatched to the scene as an operation to bring the youth to safety got under way.
Efforts to free the male continued for around 90 minutes, before the specialist boat team, using rescue path equipment, finally brought the teenager to safety.
The youth was later passed into the care of paramedics at the scene but was found to be uninjured despite his ordeal and allowed to return home.
A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Specialist crews finally brought a 14-year-old male to safety following an extensive rescue operation that was concluded at 10.58pm."
Local SNP Councillor Lea McCelland, in whose Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty ward the country park sits, praised the efforts of the emergency services and the cyclist who raised the alarm but added the incident should act as a warning for young people.
She said: "The quick thinking actions of the cyclist probably saved the life of this teenager and I commend him and all of the emergency services who were part of this rescue operation to bring the boy to safety.
"However, this incident should also act as a stark reminder that people should not be there after dark and that the public should respect the current restrictions on social distancing and activity outdoors.
"While I appreciate that we all need to take exercise, the car park to the Meadows remains closed as part of public safety measures yet some people are continuing to ignore the road closure and continue to drive into the park which i'd ask them to refrain from doing."
The management team at Lochore Meadows Country Park were contacted but were unavailable for comment.
