Trio perish in fishing boat tragedy

Press Assoc.


Trio perish in fishing boat tragedy

One man survived despite not wearing a lifejacket and was taken to hospital, where his condition has been described as not life-threatening.

A major search operation was launched when a member of the public saw the boat overturn off Ardnamurchan, on the west coast of Scotland, at around 5.10pm on Monday.

A lifeboat recovered one man, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. Another man was recovered by a Royal Navy helicopter, while one was picked up by the Stornoway Coastguard helicopter.

Both were airlifted to Broadford Hospital on the Isle of Skye but were pronounced dead on arrival.

The boat, which was collecting scallops, overturned in the vicinity of Bo Fascadale, around a mile-and-a-half north of Kilmory, Ardnamurchan.

The caller who spotted the incident said the vessel's upturned hull was visible among a sea of white waves towards the west of the island of Eigg.

Northern Constabulary said the deaths would be reported to the procurator fiscal and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the incident.

The dead sailors have not yet been named.