A Moray surfing instructor put his lifesaving training into practice when he saved two young girls from being dragged out to sea in an inflatable kayak.
Kevin Anderson was teaching a class at Sandend Beach, between Cullen and Portsoy, when he spotted the youngsters’ boat being swept away from the shoreline.
With the pair little more than a speck on the horizon, Mr Anderson sprung into action to rescue the visitors.
He darted out to reach them on his surfboard and spent more than 15 minutes towing them back to the beach using a leash.
Last night he said he was glad he was in the right place at the right time.
“The children seemed oblivious to the danger they could have been in, but if the wind had picked up just a few miles more it could have blown them out to sea,” he said.
The youngsters – who were aged about 12-14 – were not supervised and appeared to have little understanding of the dangers posed by paddling in the sea.
Mr Anderson noticed them going into the water on their inflatable boat while he was giving his lesson and – knowing there was an offshore wind forecast – kept a close eye on them.
“To begin with they were in the shallows, which was not a problem, but later on I saw them going straight out into deeper waters,” he said.
“Before long they were really looking quite small in the distance.
“It appeared that, to begin with, they had someone watching them – but when they got into trouble nobody was there.”
Taking matters into his own hands, he cleared his class from the water and advised his students to be ready to call the coastguard for assistance if necessary.
He then paddled his surfboard to the drifting kayak, and pulled the girls back to dry land in the nick of time.
He explained: “They were wearing life jackets but otherwise their clothing was not appropriate, and if something happened to the craft they may not have lasted too long before hypothermia set in.
“I don’t think they understood the gravity of what could have happened, and it was lucky that our class was taking place nearby.”
Mr Anderson runs Riding High surfing instruction lessons at beaches across Moray, and is trained as a beach lifeguard.
He said: “I wouldn’t encourage anyone else to do what I did, as that could just create more of a problem – I was only able to help because I have received some very specific training.
“The sea can be a very safe place, but with the right amount of knowledge.”
The owners of the nearby Sandend Caravan Park said Thursday’s rescue drama had been a hot topic among residents, but said the girls were not guests there.
Manager Jane Winfield said: “People here are quite well warned of the dangers the sea can pose, but we believe those involved were day visitors.
“If not for Mr Anderson having the foresight to go out to them it could have turned out a lot worse.”
Last night the coastguard service warned beach users to be wary when sailing inflatable vessels.
A spokesman said: “It’s important that people carry the right equipment and are able to call the coastguard if they get into difficulty while out on inflatable devices.
“On a radio the coastguard can be reached on channel 16, or of there is phone signal they can be contacted on 999.”