Coastguard chiefs have delivered a safety warning after posting a video of youngsters dicing with death in a fast-flowing Angus river.
The group was spotted in the North Esk, near Montrose, and with the Angus school holidays now in full swing the blue-light service had sent out a hard-hitting message of the risks posed by waters which tragically claimed two lives on the local stretch last year.
A group of three boys was spotted in the middle of the river, which was in a slight flood state after heavy rainfall inland.
Angus and Mearns Coastguard posted the clip on their Facebook page to highlight the hazards which can quickly turn fun to horror, and have urged parents to reinforce the safety message to their children.
In a commentary on the clip, the Coastguard said: “What can’t be seen in the video is the uneven surface of the riverbed, the potential foot entrapment from a sunken tree that would cause you to be pulled under the surface as the water pushes over your head, the temperature of the water that will have you cramping up unable to get you balance or the large items of debris flowing down stream that will take you off your feet and cause injury or worse.”
“We fully understand the attraction of the water, we just need you to #THINKFIRST,” added the social media post.
“Two people lost their lives on this river last year, we don’t want anymore.”
The teenagers are believed to have been warned about the potential danger they put themselves in.
RoSPA data indicates that around 400 people die from drowning as a result of an accident in or around water every year.
The Coastguard added: “There are thousands of individuals who survive drowning events but who are left with severe, and often permanent, life-changing injuries.
“Our search, rescue and emergency services respond to over 100,000 water-related rescue, and flood events annually. All of these place huge burdens on families, individuals and society.
“Many of these deaths are as a result of simple everyday mistakes, such as a trip or fall into water, or misjudgments such as underestimating the effect of swimming in cold open water unprepared can have.
“Others result from inherently risky activities including jumping/tombstoning from a great height into water.”
Anyone who sees someone in difficulty in or around water should dial 999 and ask for Coastguard.
Coastguard personnel were also part of a multi-agency operation which saw both Arbroath lifeboats launched early on Friday morning following concerns over someone in the sea off Elliot Beach.
The operation was made more difficult by early morning fog and a woman was found safe and well around 7am, but there were fears a second person may have still been in the water.
With visibility improving as the fog slowly cleared, the inshore and all-weather lifeboat crews continued the sea search while Coastguard and Police Scotland combed the shore line.
No-one else was traced and the operation was stood down around 9am.
