Rescued angler dies in hospital

Belfast Coastguard sent out an RNLI lifeboat along with a rescue helicopter

An angler who was rescued after getting into difficulties in water off the west coast of Scotland has died in hospital.

The man, in his 70s, was angling in the Sound of Islay with three others at about 1545 BST on Saturday when he was swept away by a strong current.

The alarm was raised and a search and rescue operation was carried out by Belfast Coastguard.

The man, who was wearing waders but not a life jacket, was airlifted to hospital in Oban, but later died.

The operation would normally have been co-ordinated by the Clyde Coastguard team based at Greenock but the station was unmanned due to strike action.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said Belfast Coastguard had tasked an RNLI lifeboat, local coastguard rescue teams and a search and rescue helicopter to respond.

He added that all resources had been dispatched within eight minutes.

"Unfortunately, despite the fast and thorough emergency response, the gentleman later died in hospital," he said.

Strike action at coastguard stations across Scotland has been taking place since Friday evening.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union at the country's five control centres are taking part in the UK-wide, 48-hour industrial action.

Staff are unhappy their pay is different from that of other emergency services personnel.