Greenock Coastguard Rescue TeamTwo people have been taken to hospital after being rescued from the River Clyde when a train driver stopped to help save them.
The pair were spotted by the ScotRail driver as he was passing between Port Glasgow and Cardross on Thursday afternoon.
They had been in the river for around an hour after their vessel capsized.
One was taken to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital by air, while the other, due to difficult terrain, was taken by train to Cardross railway station to meet waiting ambulance crews.
Coastguard crews from Greenock and Helensburgh, as well as the lifeboat at Helensburgh, were scrambled to the scene at 3.26pm on Thursday, Greenock Coastguard said.
“Two persons had been in the water for a considerable time when they were spotted by a passing train driver who stopped to assist,” the Coastguard spokesman said.
“Both persons were safely recovered from the water. One casualty was taken by Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 199 to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, and, due to difficult terrain, a second casualty was assisted via rail to Cardross train station to meet awaiting Scottish Ambulance Service SORT crews.
“Both casualties were thankfully wearing flotation aids which has kept them afloat whilst being in the water for approximately 60 minutes.”
Their condition is not known.
ScotRail head of drivers, Mark Ilderton, said: “Who knows what the consequences could have been for the two people had our driver not stopped to assist.
“We are immensely proud that his swift actions helped in the rescue of these casualties, including taking one person to Cardross station.
“Nobody likes to be sitting in a delayed train but on this occasion, I am sure passengers will understand and applaud the driver for helping in the rescue of these two people.”
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