Gairloch and sad news

Today Russell drove us to Gairloch where he a Josh played golf and Jennifer and I went to the beach. It was a beautiful sunny day and we all had a lovely time. Jennifer and I went for a swim in the sea, which was pretty cold, but we soon warmed up in the sunshine afterwards. We then had tea and scones at the excellent Gale centre café and that’s where I was when James phoned with very bad news. He was leading the hill-walking club day walk on the Fife Coastal path today, and towards the end of the walk one of his friends, John, collapsed and died. This is the first time that there has been a death on any of their club walking trips in 30+ years. James had to deal with the ambulance, police, and looked after the other half dozen walkers. The paramedics worked on the man who collapsed for an hour but James thinks that he had died as soon as he fell down. Instead of driving to Ullapool as planned, James sent the others home, waited at the hospital for his friend’s wife, and after the police broke the news to her he drove her back to her home on the Ayrshire coast. 

In the midst of the shock and sadness there were acts of true kindness and compassion. A passing nurse started CPR while they waited for the ambulance, which arrived very quickly. When John was pronounced dead the lead paramedic advised the walkers that they should now look after each other. The owners of the nearby farm shop garden then invited them inside their home for tea and biscuits while they waited for the police. It’s amazing how an emergency can bring out the best in people.