A MAN rescued at sea has praised volunteers who came to his aid after his boat started taking on water off the coast of Dunbar.

Dr Simon Bagley was making his way from Cove to Dunbar Harbour in his Rigid Raider, Ugly Duckling, when disaster nearly struck.

Fortunately, Dunbar RNLI were on their way back from a call and were able to step in and help last Saturday.

Dr Bagley, who works at the town’s Cromwell Harbour Medical Practice, said: “It makes me really glad that we live in this country and we have got all these fantastic services.

“You take them for granted but they were there in an instant.

“I have only now discovered that they are volunteers, unfunded, a charity, which is horrendously ignorant.

“They are all volunteers, who give up their time and put themselves completely in harm’s way for no monetary reward at all.

“We do not often talk about true courage but it makes you think, it really makes you think, what they are prepared to do in your hour of need.”

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The 56-year-old was bringing his five-metre craft from Cove to Dunbar to take her out of the water for the winter.

Dr Bagley told the Courier he was about two-thirds or three-quarters of the way to his destination when the main engine “conked out”.

The lifeboat was returning from another callout and checked if Dr Bagley was able to run with his reserve engine.

The volunteer crew offered to give Dr Bagley an escort into the harbour and it was just as he reached the harbour that the boat ran out of power.

The lifeboat crew stabilised Ugly Duckling before Dr Bagley moved over to the lifeboat and both boats made their way into the harbour. Back on dry land, he was checked over by paramedics before being given the all-clear.

Dr Bagley described the incident as “a really, really humbling experience”.

He said: “Being totally supported and looked after by several teams of people – the harbourmaster, Coastguard, lifeboat crew, ambulance crew, the team on shore – I think I totted up 15-20 names.

“It was quite an awe-inspiring response.”