A walker who stopped to take a photo on an icy gorge messaged his family to ‘say goodbye’ as he thought he was going to die after falling into the water below.

Dan Crank, 25, a farmer from Preston had been climbing the Devil’s Pulpit waterfall near Loch Lomond in Scotland on Wednesday.

He stopped to take a photo when he slipped and fell into the icy Finnich Glen water amid plummeting temperatures

Mr Crank admitted he would have died had it not been for the quick-thinking emergency services and mountain rescue volunteers.

He told the Daily Record: ‘It was absolute agony at first and then I started going numb. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I text my family saying my goodbyes as I thought I was gone. I did not think anyone would get to me in time.’

He added: ‘The cold was unbearable, I could barely walk, I was bouncing around I was shivering that much. I couldn’t even control my breathing.

‘I was struggling to catch my breath. I have never felt anything like it and I’m a farmer so I’m used to the cold.

‘If mountain rescue didn’t get to me as quickly as they did, I would have died. I can’t thank them and the emergency services enough for putting themselves in harm’s way to save me.’

Dan travelled to Scotland last weekend to complete the West Highland Way.

He began wild camping on Sunday and was well equipped for the venture, but the next day made the decision to stop as the weather had become much colder than forecast.

Unable to get home because of rail strikes, he based himself at Drymen and started looking for some nearby walks.

A local recommended taking a trip to the Devil’s Pulpit. Waters at the notorious beauty spot are renowned for being unpredictable, with a number of rescue incidents taking place in recent years.

After Dan fell into the river, another walker went to get help as the stricken hiker managed to haul himself onto a rock.

Managing to get a faint signal on his phone, Dan called 999 for help before he began to ‘slip in and out of conciousness’.

He said: ‘The hope of anyone finding me was getting slimmer. I pulled myself onto a rock and managed to get one bar of signal on my phone that I had in a waterproof bag and dialled 999. I just blurted out what had happened and where I was then the call cut out.

‘I don’t really remember what happened after that as I was in and out of consciousness.

‘At one point I remember seeing a police officer on the bank and then at another point he was hugging me to keep me warm, and then mountain rescue were putting me in a sleeping bag.’

Dan spent two hours in an ambulance while paramedics tried to heat up his body temperature.

As roads were closed it would have taken two hours to get to hospital so it was decided his BnB staff would take care of him through the night.

He added: ‘I’m feeling drained and tired so I’ve been told I need to stay here and rest for a few days to recover.

‘But feel incredibly lucky. I had thermals on and the right clothing, and I have survival skills through courses, so I dread to think what it would be like if I didn’t.

‘Devil’s Pulpit is a dangerous place and I understand local people’s frustration. I think the place should be shut off, I wouldn’t even feel comfortable going in summer.’

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘We received a report of concern for a person who had fallen at Finnich Glen, Stirling, around 3.45pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2022.

‘Officers attended alongside a mountain rescue team and ambulance service. A 25-year-old man was rescued and checked over.’

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