By Alan Richardson

CROWDS GATHERED on the banks of the Tay in Perth yesterday afternoon as the emergency services plucked a man from the icy waters.

Ambulances, fire crews and police vehicles raced to Tay Street after a man was seen falling from the Queens Bridge shortly before 5pm.

Traffic was diverted as firefighters used an inflatable hose and rescue line in an attempt to reach the man as he floated close to the bridge.

Flotation devices were also hurled into the water as onlookers crowded along Tay Street and on to the bridge to watch.

The man managed to cling to the hose before letting go and grabbing a float. A police launch arrived and rescued him as he was swept away from the bridge.

He was carried to safety near one of the flood defence gates opposite the sheriff court. One officer required treatment to a wound on his head obtained while climbing from the river to the street.

After waiting for cutting equipment to open the gate, the man was treated by paramedics before being taken to Perth Royal Infirmary. His condition is not thought to be serious.

One witness said, “The guy was right under the bridge and holding on to one of the plinths, but he kept going under.

“The firemen lowered a hose from the bridge and he kept grabbing it but he was putting all his weight on it and kept going under.

“He’s lucky he survived— I don’t think people appreciate just how cold it is down there.”

Another witness said, “We were in the second car at the traffic lights.

“A police officer said that someone had jumped off the bridge and there would be a long delay.

“Everyone started getting out of their cars to look.

“By the time I got out the fire service had arrived and were trying to recover the man from the water using rope and what looked like a hose line.

“The police launch was deployed further down the river and I think that was how he was eventually recovered from the water.”

Another witness added, “Luckily the emergency folk didn’t have to go into the river itself but one policeman obviously hurt himself.”

A police spokesman confirmed the rescued man was released from PRI last night. It was unclear whether he will be charged in relation to the incident.

The bridge has become a notorious spot, with several suicides and accidental deaths caused by people jumping and falling into the river in recent months.

The local branch of the Samaritans is considering erecting a sign on the bridge—if permission is given—but has ruled out placing a dedicated phone similar to the one on the Forth Road Bridge.