The cousin of a tragic Ayrshire man who died after drowning in Loch Doon has told of the heartbreaking moment he recognised him after initially thinking he was a 'stranger'.
Scott Ferries, 24, died after a kayak carrying him and a friend capsized in the water, near Dalmellington in East Ayrshire on Sunday, March 27.
His cousin Jordan Ferries, 27, was on the other side of the loch camping with friends but was completely unaware Scott was in the same area.
After hearing calls for help and noticing a man in difficulty in water, Jordan and pals leapt into action using paddleboards and dragging Scott to the shore.
But the software engineer had no idea the person he was trying to save was his own family member, due to the condition of Scott when he was pulled from the loch.
Speaking to the Daily Record, devastated Jordon is reliving the traumatic incident and the harrowing moment he recognised the man as his own family member.
He said: "He didn't look like Scott, because of what had happened in the water.
"His face was white, his lips were blue. I didn't realise it was him."
As Jordan's pals battled to resuscitate the man, he noticed distinctive tattoos on his arms that he recognised as Scott's, leading to a gut-wrenching realisation.
Jordan said: "I saw a star on his wrist and a tribal tattoo on his forearm.
"That’s when it hit me — 'This is Scott Ferries. This is my wee cousin'.
"Realising it was my own flesh and blood is hard to describe.
“It was just complete shock and horror.”
“I just couldn’t believe it to be honest. I can't believe we were camped 50ft from each other and I didn't know Scott was there until it was too late.
Panicked Jordan desperately tried to call an ambulance, but struggled with a lack of mobile phone signal.
Eventually, using an app he'd downloaded, he managed to send for emergency help and pinpoint the group's exact location.
Mercy crews raced to the scene, but despite the best efforts of paramedics, Scott was tragically pronounced dead.
Jordan and friends of both cousins had battled to save his life for almost an hour.
Jordan added: "My head is full of ifs and buts.
“It's easy to beat yourself up about it. We did everything that we were supposed to do in that situations, but it just wasn’t enough.”
Jordan paid tribute to his cousin, who worked as a mechanic at his dad's garage in Ayr, by describing him as 'cheeky' with a passion for cars and dogs.
He said: "I remember changing a tyre with Scott when he was only 11 or 12-years-old.
"He could jack up a car in two seconds, knew exactly what wrench to get and had it sorted within five minutes. Cars were his passion.
"He also loved his wee dog Roxy, he would always talk about her and that's what his life revolved around.
"Scott always had a cheeky wee smile on him and he was cheeky, but funny. He would have done anything for anybody."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said at the time: "Officers received reports of two men in difficulty in the water at Loch Doon, Dalmellington, around 1.15pm on Sunday, March 27.
"One man died at the scene. The other man was checked over by paramedics but did not require further medical treatment.
"A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal but there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances."
You can donate to a fundraiser in Scott's memory here.
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