Firefighters rescued two women from a car after it left the road and entered a ditch on the Isle of Jura.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews were joined at the scene by police officers, a doctor and an air ambulance team following the Monday afternoon incident (18 April).
It happened around 10 miles north of Craighouse shortly before 12:30pm.
The island’s on-call firefighters were immediately scrambled along with those from Bowmore on neighbouring Islay, with the Jura-based crew on-scene seven minutes after being sent by the SFRS Operations Control.
Crew Manager Stephen Walton, the leader of Jura’s fire and rescue unit, said: “The car was almost on its side but it was in a stable position.
“The driver was unhurt but she needed help to get out. The passenger was experiencing pain and reported having previous medical issues.”
He continued: “A doctor arrived very promptly and he checked them both over before handing on to the paramedics when the air ambulance arrived.
“We had an extrication plan in place in case it was needed but after assessing the casualties the paramedics were happy for us to help the driver out and tow the car from the ditch.
“Our firefighters made sure it remained stable as it was brought out and one of the medics stayed inside with the passenger to make sure she was always safe and felt reassured.”
Neither of the women required hospital treatment following the incident.
Many remote and rural communities across Scotland depend on ‘on-call’ firefighters who provide a vital emergency service to the areas where they live and work.
Coming from all walks of life but sharing a commitment to saving people from all manner of emergencies, the firefighters serve on the retained duty system or as volunteer units.
Despite being semi-retired from his regular career in the hotel industry, Crew Manager Walton continues his nearly three decades long service as a frontline firefighter.
He said: “You obviously need to be serious about meeting the time and training commitments but it’s very worthwhile.
“Most employers appreciate it’s a vital emergency service that they and the whole community rely on, so they’re very understanding about their employees stepping forward to do the job.”
Firefighters who serve ‘on-call’ undertake regular training to develop and maintain the potentially life-saving skills and abilities needed in SFRS crews.
Further information can be found on the ‘Work with us’ section of the SFRS website: www.firescotland.gov.uk and vacancies are advertised on the myjobscotland website.
