An East Lothian man has been hailed for his quick thinking after he saved a woman who had fallen into the sea.
Neil Speirs was presented with a Brave Heart award for his actions after he was able to get the woman to safety following the terrifying ordeal.
A local call handler for the Scottish Ambulance Service, Neil had been heading from his home in Pentcaitland to the base when the events unfolded.
Arriving early ahead of his shift, Neil had set aside time to take some photographs of the yachts at the shore, but soon became aware something was wrong.
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Noticing the woman, he realised she had fallen into the sea and was struggling to crawl out of the freezing water.
Jumping into action, Neil was praised for acting quickly after he instantly called for assistance, and wrapped the woman in his jacket to keep her warm until help arrived.
His award submission said: “Once the ambulance crew arrived, he returned to his shift for the day.
"During his shift, he received a call from a member of public who had found a male in the water. Neil gave clear CPR instructions to the bystanders until the ambulance crew arrived on this site as well. The patient was transported to hospital.”
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The Brave@Heart Awards celebrate acts of bravery in exceptional circumstances by blue-light services, voluntary rescue organisations and members of the public.
All staff members were nominated by their colleagues and demonstrated bravery during their shift or outside their work hours.
Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive Pauline Howie said: “The actions of these staff are truly commendable and they each showed extraordinary bravery. All our staff do amazing, life-saving work each day and this is a small sample.
"The staff are all wonderful ambassadors for the Scottish Ambulance Service and fully deserving of their awards.”
