Two members of the public and 14 emergency response workers have received awards for bravery and heroism in Scotland.
The Brave@Heart awards were handed out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a ceremony on Tuesday evening.
The award was introduced in 2010, but there has not been a ceremony since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
HM Coast Guard, Scottish Ambulance Service, and Police Scotland are among the winners this year, chosen by an independent validation panel.
They were recognised for acts as wide-ranging as dealing with violent attackers, saving lives and assisting during an explosion and building collapse.
One award recipient was six-year-old Benji who phoned an ambulance for his mum after she lost consciousness at home.
Police officers Glenn Coletta and Josh McCorry were also acknowledged for their bravery after they were attacked by a man with a meat cleaver, causing severe injuries.
“Each and every one of the recipients here tonight went above and beyond the call of duty, showing astounding courage and quick thinking to prevent incidents in extraordinary circumstances.
“They are inspiring and an example to the whole of Scotland.”
Phil Jones, chair of the Brave@Heart 2022 validation panel, also praised the recipients.
“The Brave@Heart award winners represent the very best of Scotland,” said Jones.
“Their heroic acts protected others who have often been in desperate and perilous situations.
“These winners also remind us that thousands of people in Scotland are working to protect others every day.
“It’s so important that their contributions are celebrated because they set an example to us all.”
They were able to call for urgent back up and calm the man down before containment was put in place and the man was arrested after surrendering.
Ambulance service members were honored for their response to an explosion and building collapse in Ayr.
Kenneth Millar, Robert Purdie, Ross McCulloch, William Brown, William McCann, Arin Yilmaz, Elaine West, Ian Beaddie and Lynne Peacock were all recognised.
After the explosion, they took quick action to ensure the public’s safety and restore normalcy.
Scott MacQuarrie, head of operations for Edinburgh Trams, was given the award for preventing a serious accident occurring when a car was driven on to the tram tracks at the Eastfield crossing.
He helped those in the vehicle to get out of the car and to a place of safety, before alerting the oncoming tram driver in order to prevent a crash between the tram and the car.
Speaking after the award ceremony at her Bute House residence in Edinburgh, the First Minister hailed the recipients as “an example to the whole of Scotland”.
“Presenting these awards is an honour for me and I’m extremely happy to be able to recognise those who put their lives at risk to save others in person once again,” she said.
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