Clothed swimmer rescued from Tay

A FULLY-CLOTHED man was rescued from the River Tay after spending 30 minutes in the chilly water.

The incident happened yesterday afternoon while Dundee sweltered in temperatures reaching 26 degrees.

The 33-year-old man, who has not been named, caused concern for locals after he was spotted in the water just beside the Royal Tay Yacht Club.

A spokesman for HM Coastguard said a member of the public made an emergency call after the man was seen in the water at around 2.30pm.

He said: “The alarm was raised after the man was seen, fully clothed, apparently swimming in the Tay.

“He was swimming around the yachts.”

Broughty Ferry lifeboat was launched and the coastguard team from Carnoustie, along with the Scottish Ambulance Service, raced to the scene.

The coastguard spokesman said: “The lifeboat crew reached the man, who had been in the water for almost 30 minutes by this time.

“He was not appropriately dressed for being in the water, wearing just his normal clothes. The man was taken on to the lifeboat and taken back to the shed at Broughty Ferry.

“He was checked over by waiting paramedics.”

It is thought the man was uninjured but was extremely cold.

The spokesman said although the air temperature was hot yesterday, the water temperature remained at only about 13 degrees.

He said: “You cannot be safely in the water for this length of time at this temperature without a wetsuit. There’s a real danger of hypothermia setting in.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Officers were called to the River Tay near the grassy beach at around 2.30pm yesterday in response to reports of a man swimming fully clothed in the river.

“He was taken from the water by the Broughty Ferry lifeboat and was then taken for medical treatment.”

Lifeboat in Tay.