A Scots broadcast journalist swam to the rescue of a woman who tried to drown herself in the sea.
The BBC’s Linda Sinclair had gone for a morning swim on Inganess beach in Orkney when she saw a sobbing woman take her shoes off and walk into the sea fully clothed.
The 53-year-old said ‘automatically I knew something was wrong, so I went to her aid’.
She added: ‘I don’t know how long I was in there with her for. I wasn’t focused on time, I just wanted to get her to safety.
‘I spoke to her about her life and her family and reassured her that ending her own life wasn’t the answer, nor was it her only option.’
She led the tearful woman back to dry land but she turned around and went back into the water. Ms Sinclair then ran to the road and flagged down a passer-by to call 999.
A policeman and a friend of the woman appeared but Ms Sinclair said that ‘it seemed like time was passing by and she was still in the water,’ adding: ‘I couldn’t understand why no one was helping.’
Ms Sinclair decided to join the woman by treading water and eventually managed to convince her to return to shore.
The woman gave Ms Sinclair ‘a huge bear hug’ as ‘a way of saying thank you’ before being led away by paramedics.
Ms Sinclair said she lost a family member to suicide in 2018, adding: ‘It’s bittersweet but I am glad that my personal understanding helped to prevent another family from the most indescribable pain.
‘A lot of people have called me a hero and said I’m so brave for stepping in, but I don’t see it that way, I just instinctively reacted.’
She encouraged people to train in mental health and emergency first aid because ‘one day you might be the lifeline someone needs’.
Stuart Callison, chief executive of St Andrew’s First Aid, said: ‘Each year we are overwhelmed to hear of the number of courageous people across Scotland, like Linda, who have stepped up and stepped in during emergency situations.’
Today is World Mental Health Day – if you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call Samaritans on 116 123.