Hero rescuer swims out to save women ‘close to death’

TWO young women were ‘seconds from death’ before being plucked from the sea by a brave rescuer after going for a late-night swim.

Coastguard Allan Corse, 26, swam 75 yards to the barely conscious women before being hauled back to shore on a safety line by colleagues with one under each arm.

The women – who have not been named – had been swimming in Inganess Bay, at Kirkwall, Orkney, when they got into difficulties.

Both women, who are in their mid-20s and had been on a night out, were taken to Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall after 40 minutes in the cold water.

Mr Corse, who has been with the Coastguard for seven years, said: ‘I knew that if I didn’t go out, it would have been a different outcome.

‘All the training comes into play in the moment and you just do it.’ However, John Hope, Coastguard commander for Orkney and Shetland, said it was only the ‘stamina and bravery’ of Mr Corse that ensured a happy ending. Mr Hope said: ‘Three young women were swimming and diving about but one was warning the others to not go too far. ‘This girl was in up to her chest and she realised that the currents were taking the others further out. ‘We were paged and we realised the girls were getting carried away. When we got there, we knew there wasn’t time for the lifeboat to come round, so Allan volunteered to swim out on a line.

‘When he got to the girls, they were going away from him. One was under the water with only her elbow out and half-conscious. He got her on the surface and on to her back and then he had to swim to the other one and told her to calm down. ‘He had them under each arm and he was hauled ashore. The line was heavy with the water and the weight of three people.’

Mr Hope added: ‘These girls were seconds from death. They were beat – jiggered. They were being carried out and there was nothing they could do about it.

‘I think they know that now. They have recovered and realised the seriousness of the situation. They know that they couldn’t have made it back on their own.’

During the rescue, Mr Corse inhaled sea water and was also taken to the hospital but was later released.

Mr Hope a dded: ‘ The message is always that, even if it’s a beautiful night and the sea looks still and calm, it’s only your head that is above the water if you go in and the rest of you i s underneath where the currents are – that’s the part of the sea that can take you away. The gods were smiling on these girls.

‘Allan is an unassuming guy and sees this as his job. He was never in danger as we would have pulled him ashore if he got into difficulties, but his stamina and bravery saved these girls.’

The incident follows a similar rescue on Saturday when a lifeboat volunteer was hailed a hero for saving the life of a man who fell into Eyemouth harbour, Berwickshire.

Dean Mark rescued the young man after he was seen f l oating f ace down and motionless.

The man is ‘ stable and comfortable’ in hospital.

‘Stamina and

bravery’