A man is being treated in hospital after catching hypothermia trying to rescue a dog from the sea.

The dog, which did not survive, fell from a cliff near Swordale on Lewis at 11.20am on Thursday.

One of two men walking with the dog went to rescue the animal but also fell from the cliff.

The other man called 999 and went to save him. They were able to scramble back up the cliff, but the man who fell in first was suffering from hypothermia and losing consciousness.

A spokesman for Stornoway RNLI said: "The male casualty had clambered down the grass slope and entered the sea in a bid to rescue a dog which had fallen over the cliffs.

"The man managed to get the dog ashore and onto a ledge, but then got into difficulties himself. A second man raised the alarm and then entered the water to the aid of the first.

"On arrival of the emergency services, both men had got themselves out of the sea.

"However, the first casualty was suffering from hypothermia and was airlifted to medical aid by the coastguard chopper.

"Stornoway RNLI stood by off the coast at the bottom of the cliffs while coastguard rescue teams conducted a safe recovery of the dog, which had unfortunately not survived the accident."

The other man was also taken to hospital by ambulance but neither are believed to be in a life-threatening condition.