Motorist dies after his 4x4 sinks in rain-swollen burn

A DRIVER was pronounced dead last night after rescuers pulled him from his car which lay submerged in a burn.

Police were called after a member of the public raised concerns over a man at the wheel of a vehicle in the Burn of Boyne, near Tillynaught in Aberdeenshire.

Coastguard and fire rescue crews were sent to the scene alongside a search helicopter after the alarm was raised at around 4pm yesterday.

It is thought the man was attempting to drive his 4x4 vehicle over a ford in the burn, swollen from recent downpours.

It is also believed that the incident took place on private property, although rescue teams urged the public to avoid the nearby A98 to give them easy access to the site. Rescuers located the car at around 5.30pm saying it was ‘fully submerged’.

Numerous police and fire officers, as well as ambulance crews, could be seen descending on the wooded area around the burn where the incident took place as the evening progressed.

The man was pulled from the vehicle to the banks of the burn, with a Coastguard helicopter taking him to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary soon after, where he was pronounced dead. His next of kin have been informed. Inspector George Cordiner said: ‘We can sadly confirm that a man has died after his vehicle went into water in Tillynaught near Portsoy.’