AJE contractors pull man from water
TWO AJE workers have been hailed as heroes after rescuing a man from the River Ness.
The man got into difficulty near Inverness Marina and was heard shouting for help at about 6am on Friday 27 January.
Coastguards, lifeboat and fire crews were scrambled to the scene at Anderson Street – but by the time they had got there, Josh Kimmet and Brian Ball who are sub-contracting for AJE had pulled the man from the water.
They had been in their accommodation in Anderson Street when they heard his shouts.
Brian said: “I was just making a coffee and I could hear shouting. I initially thought it might have been the neighbours, but then Josh came through saying he could hear shouting from outside. His room is on the river side of the accommodation. We went onto the balcony and we spotted a man getting swept along in the river. We could just see his head and hear his shouts.”
Brian added: “We got dressed and I rang the fire service and then we headed outside. We wanted to keep track of him. He was getting pulled along the river towards the mouth of the river. His shouting did get quieter and we were genuinely worried he was drowning.”
Josh added: “The man was floating down the river. Neither of us really had time to think about what we were doing, but we weren’t going to just watch him from the balcony.
“By the time we got to the riverside the current had moved him nearer the edge, so we waded into the water and were able to drag him out. He was very lucky.”
After he was taken from the water, the man was passed into the care of the ambulance service. His condition is not known.
The coastguard helicopter, as well as teams from Inverness and Nairn had been called to the scene, along with RNLI Kessock.
A fire spokesman said: “Operations Control mobilised one appliance and one water rescue unit to the area. A passing member of the public helped remove the casualty from the river prior to our arrival.”
A police spokesman said: “We were made aware of a person in the River Ness near Anderson Street in Inverness shortly after 6.05am on Friday, January 27.
“The man was rescued safely with the assistance of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and HM Coastguard. He has been taken to hospital.”
