Scottish canoe tragedy sees three children die and a man missing

An accident on sealoch in the Scottish highlands this weekend has led to the death of ...

14:54 28 August 2012

An accident on sealoch in the Scottish highlands this weekend has led to the death of three children, with a recovery mission for the father of two of the children.

 

Police have named the children as five-year-old Ewen Beaton, his two-year-old brother Jamie, and Gracie Mackay, also five years old.  

 

Ewen and Jamie’s father, Ewen Beaton Snr, 32, is still missing after the Canadian canoe they were on capsized on Loch Gairloch, Wester Ross, on Sunday.

 

"The 60 square miles have been extensively searched and we've come to the end of what we can do," Peter Godding, sector manager for Stornoway coastguard, informed The Guardian about the search for the man.

 

"Miracles do happen sometimes, so there's always that at the back of our minds."

 

It is understood that local boats helped rescue services in the search for Ewen Snr, but that bad weather made the operation difficult.

 

The two boys were airlifted from the water and taken to Raigmore hospital, Inverness, but died on Sunday.

 

In an earlier statement the Beaton family expressed they were “utterly devastated by what has happened and the loss of our beautiful little boys.”

 

It read: “We appreciate all that has and is being done by emergency services to find their adoring father, Ewen. It is too difficult to say anything more at this time and we would appreciate our family being left in peace to grieve our terrible loss."

 

Police announced the death of Gracie on Monday evening, who was found unconscious in the water on Sunday and taken to hospital.

 

It is understood the girl was transferred from Broadford hospital, Skye, to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill in Glasgow.

 

Gracie’s thirty-five-year-old father Garry, and eight-year-old sister Callie, were also on board but managed to make it to shore and alert the Stornoway Coastguard late afternoon.

 

A spokesman from Stornoway Coastguard explained the water’s temperature would be cold, and when the canoe capsized those on board would experience severe shock on entering the water.