A retired policeman has spoken of the moment he saved a man from his submerged car in an Orkney harbour – and revealed it was not the first time he had been called into action.
Stuart McIvor, 71, said it was nice to get some recognition for his efforts after his previous water rescue was not as warmly received by his bosses at the Metropolitan Police.
He was deducted the cost of a new uniform after diving into the Thames to save a woman in 1965, although he later got the money back.
Last week, Mr McIvor came to the aid of Alexander Glasgow, 24, after his car went off a pier and into the harbour at Balfour on Shapinsay.
It is thought the newly-purchased car may have suffered a mechanical failure.
Mr McIvor was on the ferry which Mr Glasgow had been attempting to board and on seeing what was happening he jumped into the water to help rescue him.
The pensioner was a police officer with the Met in London for 32 years and now lives on Shapinsay.
He spent most of his police career based in stations near the river meaning he regularly received training for water rescues.
And after retiring to Orkney he spent time as a lifeguard at the swimming pool in Sanday keeping his skills sharp.
Mr McIvor said: “It was a calculated decision, I assessed the risk and it was within my ability to do something so I waded in quickly.
“I spent most of my career in stations on the riverside in London and you can’t work at those stations without being at a gold standard for water incidents.”
However, Mr McIvor said he was not a hero, insisting he was just doing what he could to help.
He said there may have been a problem with the car’s brakes as it “ran out of control” as Mr Glasgow attempted to reverse it onto the ferry.
Mr Glasgow had just collected the vehicle on Shapinsay and was taking it back to Kirkwall for an MOT.
The car has since been recovered and is due to be inspected by police.
Both men were uninjured in the ordeal.
Mr Glasgow’s family have previously thanked Mr MacIvor for his actions.