Firefighter to be recommended for decoration after rescuing four

his action.

Solicitor Sidney Smith told a fatal accident inquiry at Jedburgh

Sheriff Court yesterday that Station Officer George Cockburn's action in

pulling four colleagues from the River Tweed at Kelso last January 14

had saved them from possible drowning.

The driver of the fire tender, 37-year-old Ian Bruce, was trapped

after it plunged 40ft into the river. He was pronounced dead after being

cut free two hours later. Station Officer Cockburn twice went under

water to try to rescue him.

Police Constable Ian Glover said he had been the first policeman to

arrive: ''When I looked through the hole in the parapet of the bridge I

saw persons lying out on the side of the tender. I did not know at the

time that they had been injured. I thought they were dead.''

Firefighter David Thomson, the last of the rescued men to give

evidence, said he had seen one vehicle on the bridge at the same time as

the fire engine but he did not see the articulated lorry that had also

come on to the bridge. Mr Thomson had received neck and back injuries.

Mr Norman Innes, of Riverside Drive, Haddington, driver of the

articulated lorry, said he had crossed Kelso bridge many times with his

heavy vehicle. It was the custom for one to give way to the other

through flashing lights or to stay at the end of the bridge to allow

another vehicle to cross. There was not room for two heavy vehicles such

as an articulated lorry and a fire engine.

He said: ''I was stopped by the kerb when I saw the fire engine coming

on. It tried to get up on the kerb. I was frightened when I saw the

machine coming towards me and I was ready to jump into my passenger

seat.

''Then the fire engine seemed to lurch up, sort of passed me, and it

seemed to jump over the parapet.''

0 Summing up, procurator-fiscal Graham Fraser said: ''He (Mr Bruce)

might have been better advised to stay where he was or he could have

gone on to the pavement more slowly but it is easy to be wise after the

event and difficult to criticise Mr Bruce for the option he took. This

is a tragic event, a tragic accident.''

Mr Fraser added: ''Measures are being taken to build a by-pass and a

replacement bridge.''

This was substantiated by engineer Alan McGhee from Borders Regional

Council.

He expected a start to be made to the new bridge by the autumn of

1994.

Solicitor Sidney Smith, who represented the surviving firemen, said

they were grateful to Mr Cockburn: ''If he had not acted so quickly and

so courageously we could have been dealing with more than one death,

though that is tragic enough.

''The fire services are recommending Mr Cockburn for a decoration and

my clients would like to see that happen.''

Sheriff James V. Paterson also commended the action of Mr Cockburn and

expressed sympathy to Mr Bruce's widow and family. Sheriff Paterson said

he will issue his findings in writing at a later date.