AN ELDERLY lady who broke her ankle falling down an icy embankment had a lucky escape after three young boys found her and alerted rescuers yesterday.
The 77-year-old was out walking her dog along a path near the Kinghorn lifeboat station in Fife when she fell four meters down a steep slope at around 10am.
She lay there in freezing conditions for several minutes before three boys aged around 14 from Kirkcaldy found her and alerted staff at the nearby station.
The rescuers rushed to the scene and battled to keep the pensioner warm before she was taken to hospital by ambulance.
A lifeboat spokesman said the woman was shouting for help as she lay on the frozen verge, which is off a path popular with dog walkers.
Liz Davidson, an RNLI Deputy Launching Authority, said: “I was heading to the lifeboat station just after the lady had fallen.
“Three young boys, who were out walking, shouted to me and I immediately called an ambulance and called the lifeboat crew who were gathering at the station.
“They brought jackets and thermal clothing along with the first aid kit and made the lady comfortable until the ambulance arrived.
“The crew, many of whom have recently updated their first aid qualifications, stabilised the casualty and then assisted ambulance personnel to lift her back up the slope to the footpath, before she was then taken to hospital.
“The lifeboat crew helped to keep the casualty warm and comfortable in temperatures close to freezing.
“I would also like to thank the three boys who were a great help during this frightening incident.
“However, the crew weren’t able to relax for long, as just as the ambulance crew was taking the casualty away, the crew’s pagers were activated after a fishing boat fouled its propeller with a thick rope approximately 1 mile south-east of Kinghorn bay. The lifeboat launched within 5 minutes.
“The lifeboat arrived at the casualty, the fishing boat Janreen, however another larger private boat was nearby and took the fishing boat under tow.”
