OAP hurt in toy dinghy accident

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A pensioner was taken to hospital with head injuries after falling out of a toy dinghy into a stretch of water used by commercial ferries.

Coastguards said the man in his 70s was lucky to be alive following the incident on Wednesday afternoon in Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway.

He fell after trying to launch the inflatable from a small motor-boat.

The man, who was rescued by a lifeboat crew, had no life-jacket and was using paddles made out of old oil drums.

A passing motorist spotted the man getting into difficulty and called 999.

Stranraer Coastguard rescue team, an inshore lifeboat and a Royal Navy rescue helicopter were sent to the scene.

This man went out in an old boat with paddles made from five gallon oil drums to attempt to test out a children's inflatable Peter StewartClyde Coastguard

Clyde Coastguard also liaised with local ferry companies Stena and P&O to ask them to proceed with caution as the man was directly in their path.

P&O launched its fast rescue craft to assist in the rescue.

The inshore lifeboat was first to reach the man who had returned to his motor-boat but was unable to get back to shore due to shock and his head injury.

The lifeboat then towed the motor-boat to land and the man was taken by ambulance to hospital.

Clyde Coastguard watch manager Peter Stewart said the incident could have been much worse.

"This man went out in an old boat with paddles made from five gallon oil drums to attempt to test out a children's inflatable," he said.

'Wear lifejacket'

He said the man had no lifejacket and no equipment in a "dangerous loch which also happens to be a busy commercial port and ferry path".

Mr Stewart said it was "entirely possible" that if the man had not been spotted the incident could have ended in tragedy.

"We do not want to discourage people from enjoying the spate of good weather we have seen recently," he said.

"But if you are enjoying a day on the water you must always remember to use the appropriate equipment and always wear a lifejacket."