Baby hauled from water as tide catches mum out

A BABY plunged into the sea at Cramond in an incident which lifeboatmen said came close to tragedy. Dramatic video footage shows a young mum wheeling the baby along in his buggy before she loses her footing and pulls him in to the water.

Both buggy and baby are submerged as an older woman, who appears to be with them, manages to lift him out of the water to safety.

Shocked passers-by are seen running to help in the video posted on YouTube.

The incident took place on the narrow causeway linking Cramond island to the mainland. Walkers can access the island at low tide but the speed at which the water rises can leave people stranded.

The video shows the tide edging on to the narrow path as walkers make their way across.

The RNLI’s lifeboat operations manager for South Queensferry, Tom Robertson, urged walkers to take more care and check tide tables.

“This incident certainly could have been tragic if someone hadn’t managed to get to the child quickly,” he said.

“There have been many, many incidents in the past at Cramond. People get in to trouble on the island or on the causeway about 20 times a year.

“Thankfully, nobody has lost their life but there have been people who have had to be treated for hypothermia.”

In 2009, a two-year-old girl was treated for exposure to the cold after being stranded on the island with her family.

“One of the main problems we have is something like 80 per cent of the people who have been involved in these kinds of incidents are not of British extraction, so maybe they can’t read the warning notices.

“My advice to people is to look at the crossing times before setting out and to realise that there’s a good mile that you have to walk back. If they have a mobile phone they can also consult the coastguard.

“If you’ve got very young children in your care, you shouldn’t be going across there, because it’s not a very hospitable place. It’s overgrown – there’s lumps of concrete lying around”

Cramond Councillor Kate Mackenzie said the signs should be simplified. She said: “Years ago people crossing the causeway were a lot more cautious but now with a lot of people not understanding the tide and not knowing the language, it’s an accident waiting to happen. I think we perhaps need pictorial signs, or a green and red light.”

• Were you the mother in the video or did you see the incident? Contact the Evening News on 0131-620 8744.