Five teenagers were rescued from the River Dee after their rowing boat capsized.
The dramatic rescue unfolded on Saturday, after the boat overturned while they were turning at Victoria Bridge, leaving them drifting towards the harbour.
The girls, from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (ASRA), managed to get out of the chilly water by climbing onto the upside-down hull and were plucked to safety by coastguard and lifeboat teams.
However, the incident could have had a tragic turn as when coaches from the ASRA ran to throw the girls a lifebelt, they discovered the rope had been cut.
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The emergency services were assisted by a Bond rescue helicopter, who lowered a doctor who was onboard down to assist with medical checks of the girls.
Ian Duncan, a coach for the ASRA, said: “The girls are to be commended for remembering their safety drills, as sometimes you wonder if these lessons are really being taken on board, but it’s obvious now that they are.
“Given the situation, it’s amazing they remained as cool as they did.
“The rescue went well, but the only thing that didn’t go well was that there was no throw line available.
“When we went to throw one from the South Esplanade West side before they entered the harbour we found it had been cut, so we couldn’t throw it to them.
“All of the girls are fine, they obviously had a wee bit of a fright but they are already talking about how excited they were to get back on the water again.”
Cal Reed, who was at the helm of the Aberdeen inshore lifeboat during the operation, said: “The girls did well to remain calm and remember their safety drills – staying with the boat, using it for buoyancy, and to keep them out of the water.
“It was a positive outcome for all involved, and the lifeboat crew were pleased to be able to assist.”
