Firefighter tells of terror after fishing trip plunge

A FIREFIGHTER has spoken of the terrifying moment he almost drowned after plunging 25ft from a cliff while on a fishing trip.

Simon Haston, 44, said he owed his life to volunteer crewman Darren Crowe, who came to his rescue after he slipped on a rock at St Abbs Head and fell into the water while fishing with a friend one morning last month.

Mr Crowe, 39, a helmsman, will be awarded the RNLI's Bronze Medal for Gallantry for rescuing Mr Haston, who lives in Gorebridge, after he became trapped in a cave at low tide.

Also honoured are Helmsman Crowe's uncle, lifeboat operations manager Alistair Crowe, 63, and brother James Crowe, 37, who will be given a framed Letter of Thanks from the RNLI chairman David Wilson.

Mr Haston was swept away into a nearby gully and washed into the Ty's Tunnel, where he was described by those involved in the rescue as being "completely at the mercy of the powerful swell, cold, battered and clinging to a half submerged rock".

The crew rowed to the edge of the cave, and Helmsman Crowe swam through a narrow fissure in a rock to perform the rescue.

Mr Haston, who has been a firefighter for almost five years and is based at Sighthill fire station, said: "I was in the water for five minutes and it was five minutes of absolute terror."

His friend, David Duguid, 34, from Haddington, managed to signal to a boat nearby that help was needed, and the RNLI lifeboat was launched.

Mr Haston, a father of one, added: "When I saw the lifeboat, I was so relieved."

Once ashore, he was suffering from mild hypothermia and was transported to the Royal Infirmary by ambulance.

Mr Haston, who usually goes fishing in Dunbar, was off work for 20 days because of his injuries and has vowed never to return to the same spot to fish again.

"If the RNLI had not been there, I would have died that day," he said. "I could not have lasted much longer.

"I'm unbelievably grateful. I am well aware it was a hardcore rescue, a big job. Darren saved my life and he deserves all the recognition he can get and definitely deserves the medal."

However, Helmsman Crowe was modest about his heroism.

He said: "We are all volunteers - we're not in it for medals. What we did that day was just part of our job."

He added: "I had to talk Simon out of the cave. He was terrified."

RNLI operations director Michael Vlasto praised Helmsman Crowe's "courage, level-headedness, strength and resourcefulness".