The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Massive rescue operation after 12-year-old’s fall
Youngster on canyoning trip when she fell down embankment
A schoolgirl who injured herself during a canyoning trip was safely rescued after a mammoth three-hour rescue mission in Perthshire.
The alarm was raised at around 4pm yesterday after the 12-year-old fell down a steep embankment on to rocks next to the river at the rear of the House of Bruar, near Blair Atholl.
Emergency services including the police, fire crews and ambulance staff raced to the scene and accessed the stricken casualty before starting a carefully planned rescue.
The girl was eventually pulled from the gorge by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Tayside Mountain Rescue Team, who used a specialist rope rescue.
She was then handed over to paramedics before being taken to hospital.
Rescuers say her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening but that she had suffered from an injured knee.
Stuart Johnston, team leader for Tayside Mountain Rescue, said: “A 12-year-old girl was part of a canyon activity group and while she was participating in the activity, she received an injury which required the patient to be extracted by a technical rope rescue from the gorge.
“The canyon company handled the situation extremely well and did a very good job.
“The multi-agency response included ourselves, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
“We worked together to extract the young lady. Her injuries are non-life threatening and she was very comfortable throughout her ordeal in the canyon.
“It is a fun activity but sometimes unforeseen accidents can happen and in this case, it was that kind of situation. “The young lady is safe and well. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were called to the scene at 4.12pm.
Appliances from Dunkeld, Kirkmichael, Perth, Kirkcaldy and Tollcross in Edinburgh were sent to the scene. A specialist line rescue team from Lochgelly and the water rescue unit from Kingsway in Dundee were also called.
Canyoning is a popular sport at the beauty spot, which involves jumping into the river before being carried downstream at a high speed.