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Sheepdog saves dying recluse

Aug 07, 2003

A dying vagabond in Scotland has been saved after his message in a bottle pleading for help was found by a sheepdog.

Robert Sinclair had fallen ill while sleeping rough and had not eaten or drunk for a week when a farmer's Border Collie came scampering to the rescue by finding the message and taking it to his master.

Sinclair, who suffers from asthma, lay at the deserted Lethalian farm, near Falkirk, after an attack caused by his condition two weeks ago.

The 55-year-old, who has lived wild in the Stirlingshire countryside for 27 years, scribbled a note on a piece of cardboard, put it in an old plastic water bottle and dropped it out the window.

Help came after the dog from a farm three fields away picked up the scent.

The 15-month-old sheepdog named Ben found the bottle and took it to his master, Brian Besler, 56, who alerted police.

The farmer, who has 200 sheep his land, said: "Ben found this bottle and came running up to me with it in his mouth.

"There was a message in it asking for help, it said Robert had been lying there for more than two weeks, he was ill, he couldn't breathe right, his chest was clogged up and he'd run out of food and water.

"He said he was fed up with this life and wanted to die but didn't want to die like this, there, and was begging for help.

"I thought it was a wind-up until I saw the name - Robert's well-known round here as a bit of a recluse - and went to the police."