BBC star jumps into sea to rescue suicidal woman who tried to drown herself

Linda Sinclair is best known for working on BBC Scotland as a journalist and has shared an emotional story on World Mental Health Day

A BBC star jumped into the sea to rescue a suicidal woman who tried to drown herself.

BBC Scotland broadcaster Linda Sinclair, 53, spotted a woman who was crying while she was out for a morning swim on Inganess beach in Orkney, northern Scotland. Linda saw the woman walk into the water while she was still fully clothed as she realised something was wrong.

She realised she immediately needed to do something and went to the woman's aid. Linda explained: "I watched her crying, take off her shoes and walk fully clothed into the water. Automatically I knew something was wrong, so I went to her aid."

She added: "I don't know how long I was in there with her for. I wasn't focused on time, I just wanted to get her to safety. I spoke to her about her life and her family and reassured her that ending her own life wasn't the answer, nor was it her only option."

Linda said she tried to get the woman back to shore but she went straight back into the water. Trying to save the woman, Linda ran to the nearby road and flagged down a car and asked the driver to call 999.

"A policeman and another member of the public, who I understood to be a friend of the lady, arrived quickly. It seemed like time was passing by and she was still in the water. I couldn’t understand why no one was helping," Linda said.

Linda has been open about losing one of her own family members to suicide back in 2018. She said: "Although she was a stranger, it made me think about my family’s experience. I wouldn’t want any other family to suffer in the way ours has.

"It’s bittersweet but I am glad that my personal understanding helped to prevent another family from the most indescribable pain." The woman let Linda take her back to land where emergency services were waiting for them.

Linda said that the woman gave her "a huge bear hug" after she saved her, which Linda said she believed was "her way of saying thank you". Lisa said that she feels "proud" of herself for what she did but said she is not a "hero" as she said she "just instinctively reacted".

The journalist went on to urge everyone to educate themselves on mental health and emergency first aid. "You just never know, one day you might be the lifeline someone needs," Linda added.

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