The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Mystery as city park sealed by police and man taken to hospital
EMERGENCY: Services respond to alarms raised in Baxter Park and Broughty Ferry
Police sealed off part of a popular Dundee park yesterday afternoon while a man was taken to hospital.
Families were turned away from the play area in Baxter Park in the Stobswell area of the city after the alarm was raised in the late afternoon.
The area was sealed off with tape for several hours and police officers could be seen guarding entrances to the site.
Items of clothing could be seen lying on the ground near the play equipment and witnesses said specialists in forensics suits were seen going to and from the scene.
The cordon was lifted around 6pm. Police said the incident had been “a medical matter” and directed queries to the Scottish Ambulance Service.
The ambulance service did not respond to requests for comment and the casualty’s condition was not known.
By last night the park was returning to normal as families and dog walkers made the most of the evening.
One dog walker said she had seen a mother calling her child away from the play area as the activity was unfolding.
“I saw a woman shouting to her son to say something was going on and then I saw the police officers going past,” she said.
A resident who overlooks the play area said there had been a lot of activity by emergency services for several hours.
“I got home and saw all the police in the park,” said the man.
“There was police tape up so no one could get near.
“It was obviously something serious.” Irene Shearer of the Friends of Baxter Park Group said: “All I know is at 4.30pm there were police at the park and an ambulance.
“There was tape up so I don’t know if they were waiting for scenes of crime.”
Elsewhere in the city yesterday, both Broughty Ferry lifeboats were called out just before 3pm following reports that a woman was in difficulty at the beach.
By the time they arrived, the casualty had been helped to safety on shore by a member of the public who had thrown them a life ring.
A spokesman for the RNLI said the casualty had swallowed water so the crew gave assistance until medics from the Scottish Ambulance Service took over.
Two other people were said to be cold, but well, and all three were handed over to the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
The spokesman said: “Due to the swift action of members of the public in raising the alarm as well as using the lifesaving equipment that is located along the shoreline, this turned out to be safe and speedy recovery and we would like to thank the public for their assistance given to the casualty.”