A Scottish journalist on a morning swim rescued a woman who tried to drown herself in the sea.
BBC broadcast journalist Linda Sinclair had been enjoying a morning dip on Inganess Beach in Orkney, north Scotland, when she noticed the weeping woman on the shore.
The 53-year-old said: ‘I watched her crying, take off her shoes and walk fully clothed into the water.
‘Automatically I knew something was wrong so I went to her aid.’
The journalist was initially able to convince the woman to join her on the shore but she immediately turned around and walked back towards the water.
Ms Sinclair then sprinted to a nearby road and asked a passer-by to call 999 before heading back into the sea to try and save the distressed woman.
She added: ‘I don’t know how long I was in here with her for. I wasn’t focused on time, I just wanted to get her to safety.
‘I spoke to her about life and her family and reassured her that ending her own life wasn’t the answer, nor was it her only option.’
She was eventually able to convince the lady to come out of the water where they were met by paramedics.
She said: ‘The lady didn’t say anything but gave me a huge bear hug before going with the paramedics.
‘I’ll never forget the feeling when she hugged me. I’m sure it was her way of saying thank you.’
Ms Sinclair lost a family member to suicide in 2018 which she says helped her in her attempt to save the tearful woman last year.
She added: ‘My personal connection to the topic is one of the reasons I wanted to help.
‘If I didn’t have those instinctive feelings, the outcome would have been very different.
‘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.’
The journalist has shared the story ahead of tomorrow’s World Mental Health Day.
Stuart Callison, chief executive of St Andrew’s First Aid, commented: ‘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.’
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.
