Adobe StockLatest updates
-
An urgent search is under way after a fishing boat with three men on board went missing - The body of one of the men has been recovered, but formal identification is yet to take place
- Gusts of up to 70mph have battered Lewis amid a Met Office weather warning for strong winds
- The leader of the Western Isles Council said it was a ‘very dark day’ for the community
- Police say conditions are ‘very challenging’ and urged people not to go out searching
- Two Coastguard planes, two helicopters, six Coastguard teams, two RNLI lifeboats and a local vessel have been searching for the men
- Flights and ferries to the Outer Hebrides from the mainland have been cancelled
The body of one man has been recovered as searches for two other men missing on a fishing boat continue in challenging conditions in the Western Isles.
Search and rescue teams were deployed to an area north of the Isle of Lewis, following reports that a vessel carrying three people failed to make port on Tuesday night.
A HM Coastguard plane from Humberside and another from Prestwick, two helicopters, six Coastguard teams and two RNLI teams, as well as a local vessel, have been searching the area known as the Butt of Lewis, near Port of Ness.
STV NewsPolice Scotland confirmed the body of one of the men had been recovered at around 2.45am on Wednesday morning.
Search efforts remain ongoing for the other two, as well as the boat itself.
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, police said conditions were “very challenging” and warned people against going out to search.
FlightRadar24Chief Inspector Ross McCartney, local area commander for the Western Isles, said: “We are very aware of the impact that this incident will have on communities across the Outer Hebrides and beyond.
“I would like to reassure people that considerable efforts are ongoing between ourselves and partners to locate the vessel and the two remaining unaccounted for crew members.
“The families of all three men involved are being provided with specialist support as these searches continue.
“We know that the local community will be keen to help in any way they can. However, conditions are very challenging, and I would urge people not to put themselves at any risk. Please do not attempt to carry out searches in areas which put you at risk of harm.
The RNLI lifeboat from Stornoway joined the search shortly after 9pm on Tuesday and hunted for the missing fishing boat for more than eight hours.
HM Coastguard helicopter from Stornoway and a plane from Humberside searched in grid patterns to the north of the Butt of Lewis before heading back to base shortly after 3am. The Coastguard plane G-HMGH flew to Prestwick.
The RNLI lifeboat from Lochinver joined the search after midnight and returned to port just after 7am on Wednesday.
At around 4.30am, a second helicopter began searching the area.
The Coastguard plane G-HMGH returned to the search area shortly after 6am.
A second Coastguard plane from Prestwick conducted a search over a larger area between 10am and midday on Wednesday.
The original Coastguard plane G-HMGH returned to conduct a third search at around 12.30pm.
VesselFinderThe RNLI lifeboat from Stornoway was launched just after 9.40pm following a request for assistance from HM Coastguard.
The lifeboat from Lochinver, launched at midnight on Tuesday, could be seen conducting searches near the Butt of Lewis.
An RNLI spokesperson said: “Stornoway RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was tasked at 9.42pm on Tuesday, October 13 at the request of HM Coastguard to assist in the search for an overdue fishing vessel off the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
“The search, involving Coastguard air and ground assets, was joined by Lochinver RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat a short time later and continued into Wednesday morning.”
A Coastguard spokesperson said: “HM Coastguard received a report at around 9.20pm yesterday (October 13) of a fishing vessel with three people on board that was overdue from Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides.
“A coastguard aeroplane, two coastguard helicopters, six coastguard rescue teams, two RNLI lifeboats, a local vessel and Police Scotland are all involved in the search.”
FlightRadar24The search comes as a yellow weather warning for strong winds and adverse weather is in force across much of Western Scotland and the Outer Hebrides.
Flights to Stornoway from the mainland have been cancelled amid strong winds, as well as flights to Benbecula and Barra.
Kenneth Macleod, convenor of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said: “It is a very dark day for the communities affected by this tragedy.
“We can’t even begin to comprehend what the families of the three fishermen are going through at this moment.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them. It is not easy for the teams out searching, with very strong gusts of wind and heavy rain.
“We are very grateful for all those out searching in very challenging weather conditions.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
