Two children at the centre of a dramatic North Sea rescue were last night reunited with the lifeboat heroes who saved them from drowning.
Isla Sim and Scott MacLean got into difficulties when they went swimming off the Buchan coast.
A third friend managed to swim to shore – but Isla and Scott were left fighting a losing battle against a strong current which dragged them out to sea.
Yesterday, twelve-year-old Scott said he thought he was going to die as he tried to stay afloat, about 200ft off the sands in front of Fraserburgh’s Tiger Hill area.
The port’s lifeboat was launched and the crew managed to pull 13-year-old Isla onboard.
Volunteer John Chalmers plunged into the icy water to reach Scott.
He managed to get him back to the boat, but by that time the youngster had swallowed a lot of sea water and his rescuers feared he would not survive.
Last night, the Fraserburgh Academy pupils – who both spent a night in the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital – returned to Fraserburgh’s RNLI station for an emotional reunion with their rescuers.
Isla said: “We didn’t really realise what was happening, but the tide starting coming in. We had been standing in the sea, then all of sudden our feet were off the ground and we couldn’t swim back.
“Suddenly Scott disappeared and I had no idea where he went. That’s when I started to panic.”
She said she was in the water for about 20 minutes before the lifeboat arrived on the scene.
Isla said: “It was like the waves were pushing us back and forward. I was trying to keep myself up all the time. It felt a lot longer than 20 minutes.
“I didn’t really think about what could have happened at the time, it was only when I was in hospital that I realised now dangerous it had been.
“When I saw the boat, I thought ‘hank God’. When I was treading water, my arms and my legs were getting more and more tired. I had been shouting for help, but I couldn’t tread water and shout at the same time.
“When the lifeboat put down a rope for me, I was too tired to climb up it. They had to lift me out.”
Scott said he feared he would drown before help arrived.
“I got caught in the waves, they were pulling me away,” he said. “I thought I was going to die. It felt like a very long time.
“When I saw the lifeboat I thought I wasn’t going to die now. It was a relief.”
Both children were treated for hypothermia and given hot showers at the RNLI station. Their body temperatures had been so low, emergency crews had been unable to get a reading.
Mr Chalmers, who was on only his second call-out with the lifeboat team, said he did not think twice about throwing himself into the sea.
“The child needed help,” he said. “I’ve got a wee boy myself.
“I just saw his face sticking out above the water. I knew it was only a matter of time before he went under.”
Scott’s grandmother Linda Stott said: “It has just been the worst 24 hours. I got a call from the police telling me to get down to the beach, but they couldn’t give me any details.
“When I got there, the place was full of emergency vehicles and I just saw Scott lying there. I just feared the worst.
“There are no words to describe how grateful I am to the lifeboat team.”
Isla’s mum Elaine added: “I was called down but I didn’t know Isla had been in the water. The police sergeant came up to me and said Isla was being interviewed. He told me this had been a major incident. I thought I was going to be sick.”
Isla, who suffers from a blood condition called hyperinsulinemia, was given a hospital bed next to Scott.
“Their temperatures went back up at the same time,” Mrs Sim said.
“She was just delirious and it took her a minute to realise who I was or why I was there.
“They were kept in as a precaution. They had X-rays taken and other observations, but everything was fine.”
She added: “I cannot begin to thank the crew for what they did. They risked their lives to save them.”
The drama unfolded around teatime on Wednesday
Last night, Aberdeen Coastguard watch manager Kevin Brown issued a warning to others.
“It is critical to always check the tidal conditions when swimming in the sea,” he said.
“The weather on scene was fine, but the hidden danger of the strong currents is something the public needs to be aware of.”