A heroic coastguard team has received a prestigious honour for rescuing two young women who were being dragged out to sea.
Kirkwall coastguard team member Allan Corse was singled out after swimming against a strong tide to save the women in the early hours of May 31 last year.
The team has now been awarded the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Rescue Shield for their efforts – which “without doubt” saved saved the lives of the two women.
It is the first time the pretisgiuos prize – awarded annually – has been presented in Orkney since 1974, when Kirkwall-based coastguard officers helped save the crew of a fishing vessel which had foundered off the islands.
The drama which led to the award being presented this week unfolded at Inganess Bay near Kirkwall.
The coastguard was contacted just before 1.50am by the Scottish Ambulance Service, which had received a report of two people in difficulty in the sea.
A third woman, who hadn’t gone out as far, raised the alarm when she saw her companions struggling to get back to shore.
The Kirkwall coastguard rescue team was first on the scene and after assessing the situation decided to send out a rescue swimmer to reach the struggling pair.
Mr Corse, a farmer, swam out more than 230ft, attached to a line held by his teammates, before reaching the casualties, stabilising them and helping return them to shore where they were met by paramedics.
Both made a full recovery while Mr Corse was checked out in hospital after inhaling sea water during the rescue but suffered no ill-effects.
Speaking after the rescue Mr Corse played down his role, saying it was a full team effort and his actions were “part of the job”
John Hope, coastguard coastal operations area commander for Orkney and Shetland”We are talking about seconds and it would have been a very different story. It was so fortunate that he got there at the time he did. There aren’t many people who could have did what he did.
The whole team was nominated for the Rescue Shield – though Mr Corse was singled out for his “exemplary” actions in the water.
The team were presented with the award at Kirkwall Sailing Club by Charles Ball, the MCA’s head of coastal operations.
Divisional commander Sue Todd said: “It is a very well deserved award for the team.
“Their commitment undoubtedly saved the lives of these two young women.”