'I thought I was going to die': 16-year-old in Nairn sea drama thanks rescuers
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A teenager and her family have thanked rescuers for saving her life after she was swept out to sea at Nairn.
Chloe Halkett (16) was airlifted from the water after getting carried out by a rip tide and taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
“I thought I was going to die,” said Chloe, of Kinross.
“I was screaming and shouting.
“I am so grateful to everyone who helped.”
The terrifying drama happened on Saturday, June 17 while Chloe was staying with a friend and her friend’s family in the area.
“I was in the water and got pulled by one of the rip tides,” she said. “I just kept getting pushed into the water.”
At one point, her foot also became stuck under a metal object on the sea floor.
Her friend, who had also been in the water, managed to get out and ran to tell her family.
Chloe is unsure who alerted the emergency services.
“There was a man wearing a white T-shirt who was standing on one of the piers and he kept telephoning them,” she said.
A Coastguard helicopter went to the scene and the RNLI crew from Kessock was also despatched.
She estimated she was swept between one and two miles out to sea and was in the water for between 40 and 50 minutes.
“I was being pulled under the water,” she recalled.
“I heard the helicopter and put up my hands and then that is when they found me.”
A crew member was dropped into the water and took her up into the helicopter where she was wrapped in warm blankets. It is understood she was suffering early stages of hypothermia.
“I didn’t really know what was going on at the time – I was not really with it,” she said.
Chloe was taken by ambulance to Raigmore Hospital where she was kept in for a couple of hours before being allowed to go home.
“It is hitting me now what happened to me,” she said.
“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped me – the emergency services and people who raised the alarm.”
Chloe, who is studying childcare at college, urged people to take care when going into the sea.
“Be cautious if the waves are choppy – don’t go in,” she said.
Her grandmother Anne Nimmo said Chloe’s parents and the rest of the family were relieved to see her when she returned home the next day.
“Her friend’s mum telephoned Chloe’s mum and they were going to go up but she said she was OK and would come home the next day,” Mrs Nimmo said.
“I think there were tears all round and I think Chloe was fed up with all the hugs and kisses!
“We are so relieved it turned out as it did and massively grateful to all concerned.”
Advice and safety tips to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time at the coast can be found at HMCoastguard.uk/safety-advice.
