Three swimmers got into difficulty at the mouth of a north-east river last night, sparking a major search and rescue operation.
One person was initially reported missing after darkness had descended at around 7pm, which led to the full-scale alert being declared at the River Don estuary in Aberdeen.
In less than an hour, amid much confusion, rescue crews declared that all six involved, who had been wearing normal swimwear, had been accounted for.
A coastguard officer last night said: “They got caught in a rip tide and the surf that is out there at the moment.”
Three 18-year-old women were taken to hospital, one wrapped in a foil hypothermia blanket and another two, wrapped in ordinary blankets, were helped to an ambulance.
A police spokesman confirmed that the worst-affected casualty had swallowed a lot of water, while the others were suffering from mild hypothermia.
The operation involved two rescue helicopters, two lifeboats, coastguard teams, police and ambulance crews.
The alarm was raised by three other people in the group, believed to be students at Aberdeen University, which had taken to the water at 6pm.
They regularly go to the spot, at the mouth of the River Don, accessed from Donmouth Road in the city.
One of the swimmers, who would only give his Christian name as Cameron, said: “We have been coming here to swim for some time, it is a student-organised activity, but the water was a bit choppy tonight.
“We got caught in the current of the river and three of the girls were swept out and couldn’t get back in, so we called the coastguard.
“It was a bit nerve-racking but everyone is safe, that’s the main thing.”
Numerous rescue units were scrambled to the area, including two helicopters, one from RAF Boulmer, Northumberland, and a Bond aircraft contracted to BP.
Also deployed were Aberdeen’s coastguard team, both RNLI inshore and all-weather lifeboats, as well as two fast rescue crafts from boats that were in the harbour.
Among the vehicles congregated in Donmouth Road was an ambulance service national risk and resilience unit, a paramedic and two regular ambulances.
At around 8.15pm, two paramedics wheeled a trolley stretcher down a steep path at the end of the street, while in the distance torchlights shone and the helicopters hovered above.
Ten minutes later, a casualty was wheeled back up towards a waiting ambulance, with her body and face totally covered by the protective foil.
Another of the swimmers emerged from a nearby house, where the residents had reportedly helped the rescue teams by offering heat and shelter for the stricken group.
She said: “Of the six of us, I might have been the furthest away from the rest, and it was a bit of a panic as I realised I was so far out.
“We have gone into the water about 6pm, and at that point dusk was approaching, but we could still see pretty well.
“I got myself on to the beach and started to look for the rest and was a bit worried when I could not see anyone.”
Police last night took statements from the swimmers and were trying to establish exactly what happened, although it is believed they all managed to get ashore unaided.
A coastguard spokesman said: “It certainly appears that the swimmers had been unprepared, particularly for this kind of water.
“The trouble with this stretch of water is that the conditions are not great, as it gets quite a lot of water and generates currents.
“This group were potentially new to this type of swimming and we would always advise people do their research before taking to water.”
An Aberdeen University spokeswoman said last night: “While we await confirmation that our students were involved, if that is indeed the case we will offer all possible support and the assistance that they need.”
A police spokesman said the condition of the three casualties was not giving cause for concern.