Forth rescue drama spurs shell-shocked Fife community into action

Emergency services and locals in Dalgety Bay were hailed as heroes over the summer when they rescued a teenage girl who got into difficulties in the water near Harbour Place on the evening of July 20.

Thankfully the youngster, who had been out enjoying good weather with her friends, was brought back to shore after a multi-agency operation which involved HM Coastguard, lifeboat teams and the search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick, and she went on to make a full recovery.

However, the near-miss has led to Dalgety Bay Community Council canvassing opinion on where they could place life-saving equipment along the shoreline which could prove crucial should such an incident happen again.

Sean Mclanaghan, from the community council, explained: “Fortunately, she and her friends knew exactly what to do and everyone stayed calm and did exactly what they should.

“The alarm was raised, the authorities alerted and brave people went to her help.

“The result was that she was rescued, no doubt a bit shaken, but alive and well.

“But this event has prompted us in the community council to consider the provision of life saving equipment along our shoreline.

“To this end, we have carried out a risk assessment, taking into account this recent event, geography, footfall and water activities and have identified a number of locations that we think would benefit from life-saving equipment.”

Six possible sites have been identified in the St David’s Harbour area and funding for the life preserver posts has been secured via local businesses and fund-raising.

Planning permission now has to be applied for, and Mr Mclanaghan has written to residents in the area asking for their input.

“Clearly, we want these to be as unobtrusive as possible and not block anyone’s view, but they need to stand out so they can be spotted in an emergency,” he noted.

If the necessary permissions are granted as expected, the life preservers should be in situ ahead of the summer months.

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