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| Gairloch canoe capsize: Two boys dead and man missing | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two boys aged five and three have died in hospital after a canoe capsized on a sea loch in the north west Highlands. | Two boys aged five and three have died in hospital after a canoe capsized on a sea loch in the north west Highlands. |
| Six people were in the boat when it overturned in the Gairloch on Sunday afternoon. A man and girl, 8, swam to shore and alerted the coastguard. | |
| A search was launched and the two boys were found along with a girl aged five, who remains in a serious condition. | A search was launched and the two boys were found along with a girl aged five, who remains in a serious condition. |
| The search resumed at 08:00 for a 32-year-old man who is still missing, but hopes of finding him alive are fading. | |
| It is understood the eight-year-old girl was first to reach the shore at about 16:15, and managed to raise the alarm. | |
| A coastguard helicopter and lifeboats from Portree, Gairloch and Loch Ewe launched a rescue operation in water close to the Big Sands caravan park. | A coastguard helicopter and lifeboats from Portree, Gairloch and Loch Ewe launched a rescue operation in water close to the Big Sands caravan park. |
| The coastguard believes the canoe capsized several hundred metres from the shoreline, between a small island and the beach. | The coastguard believes the canoe capsized several hundred metres from the shoreline, between a small island and the beach. |
| It is understood two of the children were pulled from the water by lifeboat crews. The third was lifted by helicopter from the shore. | It is understood two of the children were pulled from the water by lifeboat crews. The third was lifted by helicopter from the shore. |
| Jamie Ralston of Stornoway Coastguard, who helped coordinate the rescue operation, told BBC Scotland that weather conditions had been good at the time of the incident. | Jamie Ralston of Stornoway Coastguard, who helped coordinate the rescue operation, told BBC Scotland that weather conditions had been good at the time of the incident. |
| He added: "It was a nice, clear, sunny day with a little offshore breeze. | He added: "It was a nice, clear, sunny day with a little offshore breeze. |
| "The family were out in a Canadian canoe, six of them - two adults and four kids - and unfortunately it has capsized." | "The family were out in a Canadian canoe, six of them - two adults and four kids - and unfortunately it has capsized." |
| The boy were taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and the girl to Broadford Hospital on Skye. She has since been transferred by helicopter to the Yorkhill Sick Kids Hospital in Glasgow. Her parents are with her. | |
| Northern Constabulary later confirmed the boys had both died. | Northern Constabulary later confirmed the boys had both died. |
| The 36-year-old man and eight-year-old girl who swam to shore were uninjured. | |
| Local fishing boats and onshore coastguard teams assisted with the rescue efforts on Sunday, and were due to rejoin the search operation on Monday. | Local fishing boats and onshore coastguard teams assisted with the rescue efforts on Sunday, and were due to rejoin the search operation on Monday. |
| Northern Constabulary said the group were in a Canadian canoe - a narrow boat designed to carry numerous passengers. | Northern Constabulary said the group were in a Canadian canoe - a narrow boat designed to carry numerous passengers. |
| BBC Scotland reporter Jackie O'Brien, who is at the scene, told the Good Morning Scotland programme police were still trying to piece together exactly what had happened, although their priority was to look for the man who remains missing. | BBC Scotland reporter Jackie O'Brien, who is at the scene, told the Good Morning Scotland programme police were still trying to piece together exactly what had happened, although their priority was to look for the man who remains missing. |
| She said an eyewitness told her conditions on the loch had been "very calm" on Sunday, and many families who were on holiday there had been enjoying the warm conditions on the beach. | She said an eyewitness told her conditions on the loch had been "very calm" on Sunday, and many families who were on holiday there had been enjoying the warm conditions on the beach. |
| She added: "Obviously this is a very popular campsite known as the Big Sands, and there were a lot of people - locals and visitors - around yesterday. | She added: "Obviously this is a very popular campsite known as the Big Sands, and there were a lot of people - locals and visitors - around yesterday. |
| "But this is a sea loch and it is tidal, and conditions on it can change at a moment's notice. Local people do warn of the under currents in these waters that can take leisure craft by surprise. | "But this is a sea loch and it is tidal, and conditions on it can change at a moment's notice. Local people do warn of the under currents in these waters that can take leisure craft by surprise. |
| "So we understand that the six would have required to be wearing life jackets but there is no indication yet of exactly what happened". | "So we understand that the six would have required to be wearing life jackets but there is no indication yet of exactly what happened". |