Drunk teenager in River Ayr rescue drama

Jul 3 2009 by Edwin Lawrence

FIREFIGHTERS pulled a drunk 14-year-old girl out of the River Ayr on Monday night.

And a fire chief said the girl would probably have lost her life if firefighters hadn’t been training nearby.

Onlookers saw two girls staggering along the pathway near the dam around 8pm.

One of them fell in the river and the other made desperate attempts to help her friend.

Both were exhausted from heat and alcohol, and the rescue bid was failing.

Fortunately, firefighters on a training exercise were alerted.

And they pulled one girl from the river, as well as preventing the other from coming to harm.

An ambulance was called, and the girl in the water was treated for stress and scrapes.

It is understood the girl’s mother was also called to the scene.

Jim Smith is Station Commander for Stratchclyde Fire and Rescue in Ayr.

He said: “It was very lucky that our RDS (retained duty system) firefighters happened to be there.

“And they acted quickly to get the girls out of harm’s way.

“But this kind of incident shows that people who have taken alcohol should stay well away from rivers and deep water.”