A ROUTINE photographic exercise turned into a real-time emergency as a crew of search and rescue pilots and Navy photographers rushed to the aid of a 16-week-old baby in the Cowal Peninsula, who had fallen critically ill with suspected meningitis.
The HMS Gannet Search and Rescue crew were on a two-day training exercise in the area with photographers from HM Naval Base Clyde Royal Navy photographers when they received the call to help baby Max MacRaild.
After picking up two on-call doctors from Glasgow's Yorkhill Children's Hospital, the helicopter sped to Strachur in Argyll where Max's anxious parents, Rebecca and Neil, were waiting on the village's shinty pitch.
Max was treated on the scene and placed in a yellow portable incubator before the family were flown back to Yorkhill.
Mrs MacRaild said: "I was so relieved to see the Royal Navy helicopter arriving, as I was initially told that the air ambulance from Dunoon Hospital was in Aberdeen and would be unavailable for more than three hours."
Young Max has now made a full recovery since the dramatic rescue last Friday, and is now back at home with his relieved parents.
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