River rescue victim 'lucky to be alive'
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A man is “lucky to be alive” after a dramatic rescue from a half-hour ordeal in the freezing waters of the River Ness this morning.
Several members of the public, described as “heroes" by onlookers, waded in to haul the distressed man to safety near Kessock Road opposite Inverness Harbour.
One witness feared the man was about to be swept out to sea by fast-flowing currents just another 250 yards further downstream.
Ambulance, police and two fire service water rescue boats attended, but the badly-shaken victim was already safely ashore.
He was then taken by ambulance to hospital.
It is not yet established how the man came to be in the water.
The drama began at about 5.45 am when crane operator James Fraser heard frantic shouts and screams after arriving for work at Inverness Harbour.
Mr Fraser, who was busy filling council gritters, initially mistook the commotion for a drunken argument.
Within minutes, though, he had established that a man, still conscious and crying for help, was in the water.
After dialling 999 to raise the alarm with the coastguard, Mr Fraser stayed in contact with the man to encourage him to swim with the tide and guide him to shore.
But the Wester Inshes resident believes the man might not have survived had he been swept 250 yards further downstream.
Mr Fraser, who also serves as chairman of youth football team Balloan FC, said: “I was just parking my car in the harbour car park and, when I opened the door and heard this shouting.
“At first I just thought it was maybe someone arguing in the street.
“I went through the security gates and set about doing my job, but heard the shouting again.
“I realised someone was in distress and took a drive up to the BP terminals and had a nosey. It was then I heard a very loud cry ‘help!’
“It was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing out on the water initially but after asking if anyone was there I heard a man’s voice replying ‘Yeah, I’m in the water, please help!’
“I immediately phoned 999. He was panicking, but I told him help was on its way.
“He was lucky that the tide was going out at the time and that there were people across the other side able to wade in and drag him out.
“He must have been easily half an hour in the water and it was very cold.
“He was a very lucky man to be alive as another 250 yards on and he would have been swept right out into the really dangerous currents in the middle of the river.
“I know from experience the currents are very changeable and dangerous, and it can be phenomenal to watch them swinging from one side to another.”
Another witness Margaret Allan, who works at Merkinch Stores and lives near the rescue scene on Kessock Road, heard the commotion and went to try and help.
She said: “The shouting woke me up and I went out to see the lads - three of them , I think - go into the water to drag him out.
“It was a very frightening experience and I hate to think what would have happened without those boys being there.
“They were absolute heroes because if I’d been on my own I don’t think I would have been able to help.
“When they got him out, I ran home to get a blanket as he was obviously freezing cold.
“I’m just so relieved he seems to be safe and well despite being in the water for so long.”
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at 06.05 hrs this morning to attend an incident at the River Ness, Inverness.
“We dispatched one resource to the scene and a male patient was transported to Raigmore hospital.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: “The call came to us at 6.02 am.
“We mounted a full water rescue operation, with two boat teams, but the casualty was rescued before we arrived.”
