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PICTURES: Dramatic rescue in Nairn stops cygnet from being swept out to sea





Graeme Scott Mckinnon with the rescued cygnet.
Graeme Scott Mckinnon with the rescued cygnet.

A young cygnet in danger of being swept out to sea has been rescued thanks to the quick-thinking efforts of kind-hearted onlookers.

The drama unfolded at Nairn where four cygnets believed to be just two days old approached the river from the nesting ground for a swim with their parents.

Kirstin Gault, who was out for a walk with her partner, Daniel Spangenberg, was enjoying the spectacle when it became apparent that one of the youngsters was getting into danger.

"It was clear to see that one of the cygnets was starting to struggle with the strong river current which leads down to the harbour entrance and sea," said Miss Gault, a digital and marketing executive at the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness.

"His little noises and to see the parents not doing anything was absolutely heartbreaking."

"As the cygnet was floating further and further down the river, I ran down to the next bridge next to Lochloy Caravan Park where I was then able to slide down the bank.

"Unfortunately, this was not close enough as the cygnet was floating down the centre of the river."

The cygnet is swept down river by the strong current.
The cygnet is swept down river by the strong current.

She then ran further down the pier and climbed down a harbour ladder but the youngster was still too far away.

Fortunately, Graeme Scott Mckinnon and his flatmate, Dave Barron, who live in Harbour Street, had become aware of the drama and ran out with fishing nets to join the small group of rescuers.

In a last-ditch attempt, Mr Mckinnon climbed down the ladder at the end of the pier while the rest of the group threw sticks from the other side of the river in a bid to drive the cygnet towards him.

Graeme Scott Mckinnon leans out from the harbour ladder to rescue the youngster. Picture by Morag Paterson.
Graeme Scott Mckinnon leans out from the harbour ladder to rescue the youngster. Picture by Morag Paterson.

"Eventually it swam across and I managed to get it," said the 33-year-old who works at the town's Basil Harbour Cafe.

After checking over the cygnet, they put it in a shoe box and carried it back to the nesting ground where it jumped on to its father's back to their relief and delight.

Safe - thanks to the collective efforts of onlookers.
Safe - thanks to the collective efforts of onlookers.

"Had we not managed to get it, the cygnet would have been washed out into the Moray Firth and I don't think it would have survived," said Mr Mckinnon, who thought it was the first time in two years the pair of swans had produced a brood in the area.

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