Man watched as teenager fell into canal

A RESIDENT in Merchiston has spoken of the moment he witnessed a teenager falling into the frozen Union Canal outside his home.

The man, who lives on Dorset Place and did not want to be named, saw a young man – thought to be around 19 years old – falling into the canal just before 7am yesterday, and rushed outside to help him.

By the time the resident got outside, the man had managed to reach the reeds next to the canal.

The 55-year-old resident, whose flat overlooks the canal, said: "I saw him crawling around on the landing station looking worse for wear. He fell into the canal and broke the ice, and then I couldn't see him."

He added: "I told him to stay while I got some blankets from the flat, but when I came back he was gone. He was frozen stiff. The emergency services followed the wet footprints and found him."

The teenager, who had been drinking, suffered slight hypothermia and was taken to the Royal Infirmary by ambulance.

Water rescue teams and four fire appliances from Tollcross, Sighthill and Marionville attended the scene.