Coastguards seek owner of Forth dinghy

THE coastguard are trying to trace a man who abandoned his capsized dinghy on the Forth.

The man was stranded for several hours but eventually waded ashore near to Hopetoun House at around 6.30pm last night.

Emergency services arrived as the man emerged from the water and said he refused any medical treatment, though they believed he was suffering from hypothermia. He drove off, leaving the dinghy behind.

A lifeboat salvaged the dinghy and the coastguard are now trying to contact the man to return the boat.

A coastguard spokesman said: "The man had been in the water for quite some time and must have been quite annoyed.

"We couldn't leave the boat floating around causing havoc and had to bring it back to shore.

"It's now a case of getting a phone number and returning the boat to him, if he still wants it."