A fisherman who saved his friend’s life after an accident at sea is to be honoured for his heroics.
Charlie McDonald said last night he would never forget the image of fisherman Paul Buchan’s shin “snapping” in two after being tangled in a rope.
But despite the horror of the situation, he sprang into action and managed to save his friend from bleeding to death.
Now the 45-year-old cook has been commended by the Royal Humane Society for his valiant efforts, and will receive an award later this year.
Mr McDonald and Mr Buchan were working on the Banff-registered Fruitful Vine 50 miles south-east of the coast of Peterhead when the accident happened on June 13.
As Mr Buchan passed a rope from his fishing boat to another, he accidentally stood on it and it wrapped around his leg.
The vessels started to pull away from each other suddenly, and he heard a “snap” and felt a surge of pain.
Surgeons had to operate twice and amputate his leg above the knee. They later praised the quick-thinking of Mr McDonald who tied a tourniquet around the remains of Mr Buchan’s leg to stop the bleeding and save his life.
But last night Mr McDonald said the sound and sight of his pal bleeding on the deck of his boat will never leave him.
“We’d only been at sea a couple of days,” he said.
“It was a horrific thing to witness. I was standing just a couple of feet away from him, but it happened so fast that there was nothing I could have done to stop it.
“Fishermen get basic first aid, but nothing can prepare you for something like that – an actual severed limb.”
Mr McDonald, who lives in Rosehearty, grabbed a piece of rope to stop the bleeding.
Having only basic medical training, how he knew to tie the tourniquet remains a mystery to him.
“The day after, his mum had told me that the surgeons said the tourniquet that I’d applied had more than likely saved his life,” he added.
“At the time, it was just blind panic and sheer horror. I really don’t know how I did what I did. I went into autopilot – it was all instinct.”
The fisherman returned to sea the next day, but remains in close contact with Mr Buchan who he says he sees “all the time”.
Images of the accident also continue to haunt him.
He said: “The thing that still bothers me about it is that I can’t get rid of the noise of his leg snapping. I hear it all the time.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget. I’m there at every haul on the boat where it happened, and you see it. I relive it every time. It’s pretty hard, but he’s still here and he’s alive – that’s the main thing.”
Mr Buchan has since returned home from hospital and has an artificial limb. His car has also been adapted for his use.
The award is the second time the cook has been recognised by the society.
In 2001 he jumped into open water to rescue a Martin Bruce, a crew member aboard the prawn boat Day Dawn, who had fallen overboard.
Mr McDonald spent 75 minutes in the sea with him without a lifejacket to keep his head above water.
Mr Bruce, who was 23 at the time, was later airlifted to Lerwick’s Gilbert Bain Hospital by the Sumburgh-based coastguard helicopter and treated for shock and hypothermia.
Mr Bruce’s dad, Alistair, said: “Our family will always be grateful for what Charlie did.”