Man swept away by swollen river

Firefighters and coastguards managed to pull the woman from the water

The search for a 33-year-old man missing after he and his partner were swept away by a river in Ayrshire is set to resume.

The couple entered the swollen River Garnock at Kilwinning at about 1400 BST, apparently in an attempt to rescue one of their three pet dogs.

The woman was dragged to shore by the emergency services and is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

One of the dogs was drowned while the other two are still missing.

The couple had been out walking by the river with the dogs and their six-month-old daughter, who is being looked after by relatives.

Heavy rain on Saturday had caused the river to swell and the couple are thought to have been swept downstream by the strong current.

The man has not been seen since. His partner was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock.

Chief Inspector Stewart Rorrison, of Strathclyde Police, said an extensive search operation had been launched involving the police, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, HM Coastguard and RNLI.

He said: "Every agency has had craft in the water from Irvine Harbour to the point where the couple are known to have gone into the water."