Teenage heroes use lilo to save pair at sea

Two teenage girls have been praised by emergency services after using a lilo to rescue a man and child in water off the north-east coast of Scotland.

Sisters Isla and Eilidh Noble were on the beach at the Waters of Philorth, near Fraserburgh, on Monday afternoon when it became clear the pair in the water had got into difficulty.

The Fraserburgh Academy pupils were assisted by another man, Keith Gray, who helped 15-year-old Isla bring the lilo back to land where 14-year-old Eilidh was calling 999.

On BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme, Isla said their parents were proud the sisters managed to make quick decisions and get the pair out of the water in time.

She said: “We were just out paddling with our lilo and we saw a man and toddler out, and they were deeper than us.

“We thought the toddler started screaming but we thought the dad was just dunking him under as a laugh... but then the dad starting shouting ‘help’.”

“I went out with the lilo to go try take him back in while Eilidh went and got the phone that we had in the bag that we had on the beach.

“I tried to put the toddler on the lilo and then as I pulled the toddler up the dad came up a wee bit as well, so I made sure that his head was out the water.

“Then I tried to swim back in but I could only use one arm because I was holding on to the lilo with the other one.

“Luckily there was another man, Keith, he had seen what was happening... so he came and swam out and grabbed the other side of the lilo and we both managed to take them in.”

Isla also said it has been reported the man, who had become unconscious on the beach, was kept in hospital overnight as a precaution.

A post on the RNLI Fraserburgh Lifeboat Facebook page said: “Isla and Eilidh and Keith did brilliant.

“Make no mistake their presence and actions today made all the difference. They all deserve medals.”