Man and dog rescued after medical emergency on grounded boat

A lifeboat crew had to rescue a man and his dog after he suffered a medical emergency on a grounded boat off the coast of south-west Scotland.

The Stranraer RNLI crew was initially called out at about 10:30 on Saturday to the spot, south of Loch Ryan, but due to the tide it was not possible to refloat the vessel.

However, when they returned to the scene at 19:30 one of the men on board needed urgent medical attention and he had to be taken to a waiting ambulance at Stranraer harbour.

His dog was also taken ashore, where it was reunited with its owner, and the boat was towed back to shore later the same night.

In a statement, Stranraer RNLI said: "This incident demonstrates how quickly a routine service call can change.

"Our volunteer crew responded to a grounded vessel in the morning and later returned to find the situation had developed into a medical emergency.

"Thanks to the close co-operation between HM Coastguard, Stranraer Coastguard Rescue Team, the Scottish Ambulance Service and our volunteer crew, the casualty received prompt medical attention and the vessel was safely recovered.

"We wish the gentleman involved a speedy recovery."