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Musician dies after attempt to rescue wife from river
JOHN INNES
A LEADING jazz musician died last night after trying to rescue his wife and dog from a freezing river.
Nigel Holland, 42, a drummer at Ronnie Scott�s jazz club and a close friend of Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones drummer, dived into the River Spey at Craigellachie, Moray, at lunchtime on Saturday.
His wife and dog scrambled from the fast-flowing water but Mr Holland�s unconscious body was found floating in the water one mile downstream.
He was flown to intensive care in an RAF helicopter but was pronounced dead at 5pm last night.
Mr Holland was staying in the village with his wife, Lisa, 35. The Surrey-based couple, who described the picturesque area as their second home, were on a short break with other members of their family.
Police said the pair were enjoying a stroll beside the River Spey when their black spaniel, Towser, fell into the water. Mrs Holland, a strong swimmer, waded in to rescue him but herself got into difficulties as the freezing waters swirled around her.
Despite the river being in flood after two days� heavy rain, Mr Holland also jumped in.
A witness said: "He was just swept away while his wife and dog found their way back to the bank. Fortunately, her screams for help were heard by church-goers leaving the mid-morning service, and the alarm was raised."
First on the scene was an RAF officer, Flight Lieutenant Jim Anderson, a former search-and-rescue (SAR) pilot, who dialled the rescue station.
Minutes later an SAR Sea King helicopter was on the scene and making low-level passes along the route of the Spey.
Police began a search of the immediate riverbank area in case Mr Holland had managed to make it to shore. But nearly a mile downstream, his unconscious body was spotted in the water and he was winched aboard before being airlifted to Dr Gray�s Hospital, in Elgin, some 14 miles away.
Mr Holland spent five hours in intensive care but died shortly after 5pm. His wife was at his bedside.
Shortly before Mr Holland died, Maggie and Stewart Johnston, the owners of the B&B, where the couple regularly stayed, said: "They are such a lovely couple, we see them as part of our family."
The couple was not surprised that anyone jumping into the river would get into difficulty. "The river is very fast and deep at the moment after all the rain we�ve had, and it is always freezing," Mrs Johnston said. |
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| jb |
I hope Charlie doesn't quit over this tragedy. |
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| Scot Rocks |
What a tragedy, there is always a lot of accidents when owners try to rescue their dogs.
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CHAT
ROOM aka THE FUN HOUSE] [
RESTROOMS]