A surfer has been thanked for heroically springing in action when four children were swept out to sea in the Outer Hebrides.
Emergency services were called to initial reports of two youngsters in bother off Culla Bay on the Isle of Benbecula around 3.05pm on Monday, July 5.
One of the kids, who stayed ashore, raised the alarm by calling the coastguard.
Benbecula's coastguard officers confirmed that a nearby surfer spotted the children, rescued them, and took them to the beach.
Bystanders then stepped in to get the children to 'safer ground'.
Paramedics were called to the scene to assess each of the youngsters.
Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) chiefs said that two of the four children were rushed to Uist and Barra Hospital 'to be checked over'.
Their current medical condition has not been disclosed.
Benbecula Coastgaurd released a statement later on Monday thanking all those involved in the rescue mission.
It read: "Benbecula, Lochmaddy and Lochboisdale Coastguard Rescue Teams and Stornoway Rescue Helicopter R948 paged by MRCC Stornoway to a report of a group of children being swept out to sea at Culla Bay, Isle of Benbecula.
"One of the group, who had remained ashore, did the exact right thing and Dialled 999 and asked for the coastguard – well done.
"A surfer who was in the vicinity managed to get the children to the beach, where a number of bystanders helped to move them to safe ground.
"All the children were assessed by Rescue 948 Paramedic and Scottish Ambulance Service Paramedics prior to being transported to Uist and Barra Hospital to be checked over.
"Our thanks to the first informant, Stornoway Rescue Helicopter R948, MRCC Stornoway, Police Scotland Highland and Islands Police Division, Scottish Ambulance Service, Uist and Barra Hospital and the surfer and bystanders who assisted."
A spokeswoman from Police Scotland told the Record: "At around 3.05pm on Monday, July 5 police were called to a report of two girls in difficulty in the water at Culla Bay, Benbecula.
"Emergency services attended and found a member of the public had managed to assist the girls to safety.
"Four girls who had been in the water were taken to Uist and Barra Hospital to be checked over.
"Police are looking to trace the member of the public who assisted the girls.
"Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland through 101, quoting incident number 1850 of Monday, July 5, 2021.”
The SAS were called shorty after police, at 3.15pm and sent two ambulances to the scene.
A spokeswoman told the Record: “We received a call at 3.15pm on July 5, 2021 to attend an incident at Culla Bay, Isle of Benbecula.
"Two ambulance crews were sent to the scene and two patients were transported to Uist and Barra Hospital.”
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