Father tells of battle to save daughter from sea

Dad tells families not to use inflatables on the shore after daughter’s escape

A father has warned other families of the dangers of taking inflatable toys to the beach after his daughter almost drowned.

Jamie McEwan, 37, said Monday’s near-tragedy at Montrose was the worst experience of his life, as he relived the terrifying ordeal.

Mr McEwan, from Tillicoultry, who is on holiday with his family in Arbroath, was speaking for the first time since his daughter Kaitlynn, 14, was swept out to sea on an inflatable pink flamingo.

She was rescued after Mr McEwan swam 100 yards through riptides to get to her.

“It was the worst experience of my life,” he said.

“I would urge people to keep inflatables well away from the beach.

“I don’t want anyone else to go through what we had to go through.

“We’ll never take an inflatable toy near a beach ever again.”

Mr McEwan and his partner Kelly McMillan, 36 — Kaitlynn’s mum — also paid tribute to everyone who helped as Monday’s lunchtime drama unfolded — including the coastguard officer who helped them back into the shore.

“I would like to thank all the people on the beach, the lifeguard, the coastguard, the paramedics and the police — there wasn’t one person standing there with dry feet,” he said.

“It could have been fatal but the main thing is we are all still here to tell the tale.”

Mr McEwan said Kaitlynn was playing on the inflatable just off the beach and was quickly swept away.

He said she was floating further and further away and he heard her screaming.

He sprinted from the top of the beach and ran into the water.

“It was up to my neck and my body froze and I could hardly breathe – but I knew I had to get to her,” he said.

“I must have swam out 100 yards. “I shouted at her to jump off the inflatable and swim towards me.”

Mr McEwan said he managed to get to his daughter and bring her back in to the shore.

By this stage coastguard rescuers were on the scene to help them from the water after Miss McMillan had raised the alarm from the beach.

Mr McEwan said his body gave way when he got out and both he and Kaitlynn were taken to Ninewells Hospital by ambulance.

He said: “I don’t know how I got out so far. I was fighting against the wind and the currents but it was just pure adrenaline.

“I was exhausted and couldn’t stand by the time I got back to the shore.

“Everything happened so quickly but it felt like forever.”

The family — who have been on holiday in Angus since Saturday — are finally coming to terms with what happened.

After their ordeal Miss McMillan said she researched inflatable pink flamingos and was taken aback by the amount of horror stories she read.

“They should be banned from the beach,” she added.

The pink flamingo was blown four miles offshore as a result of the fierce wind.

I was up to my neck and my body froze and I could hardly breathe

Picture: Kim Cessford. Jamie and Kaitlynn McEwan after their drama on Monday when Kaitlynn’s inflatable drifted out to sea and Jamie had to swim to rescue his daughter.