A GIRVAN lifeboat crew have been commended for their quick actions which saved a man's life.

Lifeboat volunteers from Girvan RNLI lifeboat station were presented with a Chief Executive's Commendation by Area Lifesaving Manager Robert McMaster following a rescue that took place on Monday, February 21, 2022 in Girvan Harbour.

The crew involved in the rescue were presented with a certificate signed by RNLI Chief Executive Mark Dowie, and station Coxwain/Mechanic Callum Govus was also presented with a commendation for the rescue.

The rescue took place just after 7pm, with Girvan's volunteer crew on station for regular training as is normal on a Monday evening according to the RNLI.

The crew had gone through the normal briefings, had got their protective gear on and had just opened the external doors to exit the building when they heard cries for help.

The cries were coming from the area of the wooden jetty in front of the lifeboat station and the crew quickly ran towards the cries of distress.

A male was in the water.

A RNLI statement described the incident: "Being in the water is dangerous at the best of times but the casualty had already been dragged a distance by a tremendous river flow on the back of storm Franklin that had put the river into spate, rising 2.5m in the last 24 hours and sending a raging torrent down river and through the harbour, and he was hanging on by his fingertips to the wooden jetty.

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"The crew split up and some of the crew physically grabbed the male and held on for dear life against the current, while others flung life rings down so they could be put around the exhausted man. Additional crew raced around the harbour and down onto the pontoons and around to where the man was and he was hauled from the water.

"Girvan's crew, who are casualty care trained, provided first aid care and assessed the mans condition. He was then handed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and transferred to hospital in Ayr.

"Also in attendance were Girvan Coastguard rescue team."

Girvan Lifeboat Coxwain/Mechanic Callum Govus said: "The casualty was extremely lucky in the fact we happened to be there at the time and were able to get to him so quickly, having been in the freezing water for a total of 15 minutes. The gentleman, after falling between his large boat and the jetty into the water, had been washed through under the jetty by the raging river and had managed to cling on by his fingertips at the other side of the jetty in the harbour in total darkness.

"Potentially if we had been another few minutes heading out the door to training, this man would have been swept away by the current out the pier end with the river in spate and no one would have known it had happened."

Lifeboat Operations Manager John Gourlay added: "I commend the crew for their quick actions and their training that kicked in which resulted in a life saved that evening".