Sailor thanks teenage trio for saving his life after dinghy capsized

A PENSIONER has paid a heartfelt tribute to three teenage girl paddle boarders who "saved his life" after his boat capsized off the west coast.

- By Mary Wright

Brian Craven, 74, of St Helens, Merseyside, was staying at the Port Ban holiday park in Kilberry, Argyll, when an afternoon sail almost turned to tragedy.

He got into serious trouble after his boat overturned in choppy waters more than 280 yards off the remote Knapdale Peninsula.

The drama "rapidly escalated into a life-threatening crisis" and he feared he wasn't going to survive as he floundered in the freezing water.

Brian said: "Sailing single-handed in gentle breezes and a slight swell, I managed to capsize my dinghy involuntarily for the very first time in more than 35 years.

'The cold quickly took a grip on my body'

"That led to a series of difficulties, not least that the cold water — on a hot and beautiful day — quickly took a grip on my body, limiting my physical capabilities.

"I realised there was nothing I could do to recover the situation and I did wonder if this was it."

He added: "A short prayer, 'Lord, I need help', saw me gazing north up the Sound of Jura, to large and completely empty seas.

"Looking round some moments later, I saw a paddle-boarder rapidly approaching."