Skip to content

Man trying to reach island on inflatable mattress rescued from sea

Angie BrownEdinburgh and East reporter
News imageRNLI Queensferry An orange lifeboat with four crew members wearing white helmets and red life jackets. There is a mattress on the water.RNLI Queensferry
The man was able to haul himself back onto the mattress after falling into the Firth of Forth and dialled 999

A man who was attempting to reach an island off the coast of Edinburgh using an inflatable mattress has been rescued after falling into the sea.

RNLI Queensferry Lifeboat said he was using the airbed as a craft to reach Cramond Island in the Firth of Forth when he got into difficulty at about 09:20 on Sunday.

The man, who was not wearing a wetsuit or life jacket, managed to get back on the bed but was dragged off course by currents, so he called 999.

Cramond Island is a tidal island about one mile (1.6 km) out to sea, which is connected to the mainland at low tide across the Drum Sands.

News imageRNLI Queensferry A man in orange blankets on a lifeboat surrounded by four rescuers wearing white helmets and red life jackets.RNLI Queensferry
The man was wrapped in blankets and taken back to shore where an ambulance was waiting for him

A paved path, exposed at low water, allows easy access but this is covered at high tide.

The man was wearing normal clothes and was not equipped for the icy waters, which were 7C and "extremely cold", rescuers said.

The man had set off at 08:00.

Once on the lifeboat he was wrapped in warm blankets and it was "assessed that an ambulance and rapid evacuation would be required".

The lifeboat went to Granton harbour where the rescued man was picked up by the Scottish Ambulance Service crew.

Stewart Atkinson, of RNLI Queensferry Lifeboat, told BBC Scotland News: "It was lucky that we got there when we did, as the casualty was extremely cold and was drifting further offshore, with the tide and offshore wind.

"This incident highlights that blow-up toys and airbeds are designed for pools, not the sea where they can quickly be blown offshore.

"Always check the forecast and tide conditions, be aware that conditions inshore may seem fine, but further offshore they can be significantly worse.

"Always wear a personal floatation device and make sure you are also wearing clothing suitable for the forecasted weather."