Man rescued from inflatable mattress off Edinburgh coast
Volunteers say it's lucky they reached him when they did
Lifeboat crews rescued a man stranded on an inflatable mattress, near an island off Edinburgh.
Queensferry Lifeboat was alerted at about 9.20am on Sunday when a man, who was fully clothed, was reported to be stranded on an inflatable mattress east of Cramond Island in the Firth of Forth.
The man had fallen into the water, which had a temperature of about 7C, but had managed to get back aboard the mattress. He had been on the water since 8am.
Volunteers for the lifeboat, based in South Queensferry, located the casualty and recovered them onto the lifeboat.
The man was wrapped up for warmth and it was assessed that an ambulance and rapid evacuation would be required, according to the charity.
It travelled to Granton Harbour, north Edinburgh, where the casualty was handed over to Scottish Ambulance Service crew, SORT and South Queensferry Coastguard Rescue Team.
The lifeboat was return to service at 11.15am, following the fourth callout this year.
Volunteer helm Stewart Atkinson said: "It was lucky that we got there when we did, as the casualty was extremely cold and was drifting further offshore, with the tide and offshore wind.
"This incident highlights that blow-up toys and airbeds are designed for pools, not the sea, where they can quickly be blown offshore.
"Always check the forecast and tide conditions, be aware that conditions inshore may seem fine, but further offshore they can be significantly worse.
"Always wear a Personal Flotation Device and make sure you are also wearing clothing suitable for the forecasted weather.
"If you get into trouble, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard."