A SCOTS mum-of-two has praised the RNLI after they managed to find her set of keys that she accidentally kicked overboard into the Firth of Forth.
Victoria Greig, 37, was on the Forth Belle, a vessel used by Forth Boat Tours, on Monday when she managed to lose her keys in the water.
The 37-year-old was worried about how she would be able to get home as her Mercedes car fob was attached to the set of keys.
Helpful RNLI volunteers stationed in South Queensferry, Edinburgh told Victoria they would try to retrieve the keys by magnet fishing.
Unbelievably, a female crew member managed to find the keys and returned them to Victoria when she returned back to shore.
The beauty therapist, from Crossgates, Fife, couldn’t believe that the RNLI duo actually managed to find the keys and now plans to make a donation to the team.
RNLI Queensferry Lifeboat posted on Facebook about the incident yesterday, writing: “Yesterday, Queensferry Lifeboat Station were involved in an unusual rescue!
“A passenger on the Forth Belle dropped her keys in the water just as the vessel was leaving.
“Two volunteer crew members had a go at magnet fishing with surprising results.
“The keys were returned to the owner when she returned to the Hawes Pier.
“Never a dull moment at Queensferry!”
Victoria responded: “Thanks again for managing to get my keys for me. I’m so grateful for your effort. Surprisingly the car keys still work too.”
The post now has over 475 likes, with dozens of people commenting on the crew’s miraculous save.
Margaret Bisset said: “Well done. A very different rescue.”
Dave Crampton said: “Along with several bikes, shopping trolleys and an old Canon right?”
Dawn Thomasson said: “Brilliant outcome. Well done RNLI”
And William Hatton added: “Makes a change and fantastic results.
“It is also another box to tick in scenarios that can happen. Well done.”
Speaking today, Victoria said: “Myself and a couple of friends decided to take all our kids on the Queensferry tour boat as something nice to do with the weather being so nice and my boys had been asking to go on a boat for a while.
“While sat on the boat waiting to depart, my keys fell out of my bag.
“As I went to pick them up I accidentally managed to kick them overboard.
“My heart dropped as I heard them land in the water.
“Both the man leading the tour and the RNLI woman that saw it happen thought I would be lucky to see my keys again and advised me to come back at low tide and maybe they wouldn’t have been washed away.
“At this point we were just about to leave the dock so there was nothing I could do.
“I tried to enjoy the boat trip for the kids but was concerned about how I would get us and my car back home.
“I was surprised when the man running the tour came over to tell me they got radioed from the RNLI to say they had my keys!
“I couldn’t believe it.
“I was so relieved and could finally relax and enjoy the rest of the trip.
“I’m so grateful to the RNLI woman who went out her way to fish my keys out with a magnet.
“It might have been their easiest rescue but I really wanted to give them a donation as I appreciate what they did for me.”
Lifeboat Operations Manager and Station Mechanic Dave Smart named the two volunteers as Julie Dominguez and Kathryn Elliot.
Speaking today he said: “The two volunteer crewmembers came in to ask if I had a magnet on a string!
“I presented them with one each, not expecting a result.
“Soon after I heard cheering and went to find out that they had recovered the keys!”
