The boy is thought to have been swimming with friends in the River Teviot, near Hawick, which was swollen by heavy rainfall. He became separated from the others by a rush of flood water, and was found clinging to a wall by firefighters called to the scene.

They used lines to wade out into the water to rescue the boy, who was described by a spokesperson from the fire service as "very fortunate".

The incident is the most recent emergency caused by the summer's heavy downfalls, with severe weather warnings having been issued earlier in the month for Strathclyde, Central Scotland, Tayside, Fife, Lothian and Borders and the south-west of the country.

Flood watches were also put in place by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to cover rivers in Dumfries and Galloway, Highland Angus, Lowland Angus, the Borders and west central Scotland.

In one of the summer's most dramatic incidents, two weeks ago, five people holidaying on the island of Arran were airlifted to safety after their campsite was submerged by floodwater from a nearby river which had burst its banks, leaving one member of the party trapped with water levels rising up to neck height.

Met Office advisers have warned the public to expect more flooding in coming years as heavy rainfalls become more frequent, claiming that swollen rivers and urban flooding will be "one of the biggest questions" posed by climate change in Scotland.

During a Holyrood debate on flooding earlier in the year, evidence presented by the Met Office warned that past climate could no longer be considered a "safe guide" for the future, and that efforts had to be focused on managing rather than preventing flooding.

Last month, Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead announced an overhaul of flood management in Scotland, promising a flooding bill would be presented later in the year.

He said the bill would ensure a "modern and sustainable" approach, while keeping the public better informed on the risk of, and the consequences of, flooding.