Firefighter in hospital after river exercise

A FIREFIGHTER based in the Capital was rushed to hospital after an accident during a training exercise in a swollen river.

The 42-year-old, based at the city's Marionville Station, was taking part in an exercise involving members of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service when he disappeared under the water yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters trained in under-water techniques managed to quickly pull him up and had to resuscitate him on the river bank.

He was then rushed to Borders General Hospital near Melrose, where he is understood to be in a stable condition.

The dramatic incident happened at the Yair Bridge over the River Tweed near Clovenfords, Selkirkshire, at around 2.30pm on Friday.

Four fire appliances were already on the scene when the alarm was raised that one of the exercise team had got into difficulties.

One onlooker said: "The water is very fast at that spot and swollen due to the recent heavy rainfall, but that is the conditions they need to train in apparently.

"The incident happened very quickly and they had experienced trainers along the bank."

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were carrying out water rescue training on the River Tweed in the Borders and there has been an incident.

"One of the firefighters got into difficulties.

"He was taken to hospital where we understand he is now in a stable condition. The last thing we heard he is feeling better and the injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

"We will be carrying out a full accident investigation."