Mum thanks off-duty soldier who saved children from drowning

The mother of two children who were rescued from the sea in Moray by an off-duty army sergeant says she will be forever grateful he saved their lives.

Claire Musgrave's two-year-old daughter Sia got into difficulty on a sandbank at East Beach in Lossiemouth on Saturday. The child's brother Coen, aged nine, then tried to help her but was soon out of his depth.

Martin Simpson, 37, who had been at the beach with his own daughter, spotted the pair and jumped into the water, pulling both children to safety.

Reunited on the beach, Coen said he wanted to thank the soldier for saving him and his sister.

Martin Simpson came to the rescue of Coen and Sia on East Beach in Lossiemouth

Mum Claire, 38 from Lossiemouth told BBC Scotland News : "As much as we thought we knew the area, we were still naïve and wouldn't have expected this to happen."

She urged parents to be aware of their surroundings on the beach as they can be "unpredictable".

At the time of the scare, Claire had gone to a nearby shop, while the children's dad was close by on the beach.

Sia had taken a step back off the sandbank where she had been playing with her brother and the water started to carry her away.

Her brother tried to rescue her but the water quickly became too deep for him to stand. He called for help and Martin sprung into action.

Claire added: "We were only yards away, but it just shows you how easy and how quick things can change.

"I'm very thankful to Martin, for not thinking about himself and just jumping in.

"Obviously things could've been a lot worse. I do think he did possibly save the children's lives."

The family reunited with Martin at the beach on Monday and enjoyed some ice creams together

The family were reunited with Martin at the beach on Monday where they were able to say thank you and share an ice cream.

Martin, from Elgin, told BBC Scotland News he had been at the beach with his daughter, playing on a nearby sandbank, when he noticed something "unusual".

He said: "I called out to the boy, I think the water is taking your sister and by the time I had finished that sentence she had moved into a much deeper part of the water."

Martin, who is based at the nearby Kinloss Barracks, said Coen was "very brave" when he went in after after his sister but he started to struggle too.

He continued: "I just jumped into the water, I managed to get the two of them- one in one hand and one in the other - and I shouted for help.

"It was quite an ordeal but it just goes to show what can happen in a split second."

Martin insisted he isn't a hero, and it was just his "natural instinct to help".

He said: "It had to be done and you like to think that anyone else would do the same for your child.

"I just happened to be the closest person. Their dad came in seconds after me. I'm just glad the children are safe and well."