Tragic accident Scotland

[codprawn]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/7956521.stm

Very sad - 4 men went out in a small boat on Loch Awe. Rescuers could here them shouting but as viz was only 15' due to dense fog they took some time to find them.

All 4 are dead - and they WERE wearing lifejackets - it's really terrible!!!

[C2 RIBS]

All 4 are dead - and they WERE wearing lifejackets - it's really terrible!!! [/QUOTE]

Very sad, I hope we are able to find the others who are still missing. I notice Codders you have seen they had lifejackets, the press may have this but were they bouyancy aids or full lifejackets, I appreciate the cold would be the main issue here so only full kit would keep them going over a time in the water and how many of us wear it. I was out today with PFD's and just a wind/water top and normal trousers but this again highlights how terrible it gets and probably very quickly

[JSP]

Terrible news

[codprawn]

They would probably have been far better off with fishermans style floatation suits.

[spartacus]

Seems very late to be crossing a loch at 11.00pm. Not sure if there was a full moon or not, but the whole thing is tragic.

These lochs are very cold, even after a hot summer day, so the temperature must have been crippling. A flotation suit would have helped, but in the dark, it would disorientating. We'll hear in due course as and when more facts come out.

[BruceB]

Its just down the road from here and funnily enough I passed both ways on the road just before it happened last night.
There are lots of places folk camp beside the loch and fish so its not that late really if you are night fishing.

[alystra]

Yeah! The helicopter woke me up as it flew over my house - or close to it anyway (I'm only 3.5 miles from the southern end of L. Awe). I looked out and it was really foggy and though the helo was low, judging by the sound, I couldn't see any of its lights. Pretty hopeless conditions for an aerial search I would think.

It seems to happen every year in L. Awe. As I understand they were returning from an hotel (pub) no doubt the MAIB will blame the alcohol. It's all very sad.

[yoyo]

I presume that the rescue chopper and other shore based emergency services don’t carry thermal imaging gear, even hand held stuff which is becoming less costly these days. (we even have one at work).

The poor souls could only have been 3 to 400 yrds from shore max! Thermal imiging equipment may well of saved lives on this occasion with the very poor visibility.

Very sad.

[BruceB]

The local Police helicopter has thermal gear, not sure if both military choppers available have it but you would assume so.

[codprawn]

If they have been in the water for some time I suspect their thermal image would barely show up.

I can't see any British rescue helicopters not having them on board!!!