'Crazy stunt' led to loch rescue

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6964474.stm

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A man is "lucky to be alive" after he clung for 25 minutes to a buoy in a sea loch after falling out of a dinghy.

The 20-year-old, who is being treated for severe hypothermia, had been trying to tie his boat to the buoy when he fell into Loch Linnhe in the Highlands.

He was with a companion, who was unable to help as the dinghy floated away.

A member of the public spotted the pair and alerted the coastguard just after 0700 BST. A coastguard manager described it as a "really crazy stunt".

Crass stupidity

Phil Wren, the sector manager for the coastguard in Lochaber, said: "If these youngsters had not been spotted by the sharp-eyed staff from the centre then this may have had a much more serious outcome.

"The man was blue with cold when he was pulled from the water and was obviously seriously hypothermic which shows how a combination of the cold water and prolonged immersion in the sea can be a killer."

He added: "Neither of these characters were carrying lifejackets or flares, a radio or anything else to raise the alarm when they went out this morning.

"That was just crass stupidity and anyone else attempting to do likewise should be very aware of the dangers of the sea, even in mid August."