‘We’re absolutely traumatised after taking romantic photo by seaside’

It was supposed to be an ordinary day for Ben Walsh and Laura Taylor. They were enjoying a long walk by the seaside when they stopped to take a romantic photo. But in a flash, it very nearly became their last.

The couple’s photo opportunity in Scotland turned into a near-death experience when the railing they were leaning on gave way. Ben found himself suspended head-first above the perilous 15ft drop. His life hung in the balance until his family, alongside two brave passers-by, managed to rescue him by grabbing his ankles and pulling him back to safety.

Ben said: “I can’t thank the couple enough for running over and helping save my life. But I could easily have died. I couldn’t sleep that night from going over it all in my head.”

During a leisurely walk with his family along the Gourock promenade in Inverclyde, as part of their motorbike tour through Scotland, Ben, 40, and Laura, 38, decided to capture the picturesque scene. The terrifying ordeal was inadvertently recorded on Laura’s phone.

Following his narrow escape, Ben, who works as a training manager for the National Grid, expressed grave concerns regarding the safety of local barriers and has since called for an urgent review.

“It was like a nightmare. We were all absolutely traumatised by it. Laura went forwards and I went backwards. I fell towards the edge but somehow managed to save myself by wrapping my leg round the pole,” he said.

“My mum, dad and Laura were screaming for help and pulled me to safety with the help of two passers by running to help. They all somehow managed to pull me by the ankle to safety. The lady ran down to the bottom to try to do something if I fell. The adrenalin just kicked in and I somehow survived.”

The tourist, from Retford in Nottinghamshire, had stopped in Gourock to soak up the local attractions before boarding the ferry to Argyll as part of his family’s holiday. Following Ben’s complaint to the council, repair work on the seafront railings in Gourock has commenced.

“What concerns me the most is this railing appeared to have been welded recently. So a repair must have been carried out,” he continued.

“It could have easily been an elderly person or a child. They might not have been so lucky. It is extremely lucky I managed to hold on and survived.

“We didn’t know what to do after it happened. We brought the rail back up, and we managed to find a traffic cone before we reported it. I work with health and safety every single day. This needs to be investigated.”

With the incident now behind him, Ben urged other tourists to stay safe when taking photos in scenic spots , reports the Mirror. He added: “I applaud the council’s quick reaction as they barriered the area off first thing the following morning. I saw similarly rotten, broken railings in Oban after I left Gourock. I have also read of similar things happening across the country, for example Devon.

“All I ask is that people are careful when they are posing for photographs this summer in similar locations. You wouldn’t expect an item which is there for your safety to be unsafe, but this proves it can happen.”

A spokesperson for Inverclyde Council, which has been without overall political control since the Liberal Democrats’ loss in 2007, stated: “We are aware of the incident and understand the concerns that have been raised.

“A programme of inspections and repairs of seafront railings is currently being carried out in the surrounding area, and more widely across Gourock, as part of our ongoing asset management responsibilities and commitment to public safety.

“A review is currently under way to determine the cause of the issue at this location and to ensure that any necessary follow-up actions are taken.”