Iain, 39, a neighbour of tragic Barra bomb victim Eilidh, was fishing with his friend
THE families of two divers who died after getting into difficulty have been told of their loss.
The two men, both 39, had been diving for shellfish off the coast of Barra in the Outer Hebrides on Saturday morning.
A ferry boat skipper in Castlebay raised the alarm at 11.20am, after the men failed to surface, prompting a major search and rescue mission.
One of the men, named locally as Iain Ruaraidh MacDougall, was an immediate neighbour of the Macleod family, who lost their daughter Eilidh, 14, in the Manchester terror attack in May.
Iain, 39, was said to be an experienced diver who occasionally worked in commercial fishing. He is survived by his parents and his sister.
His friend is believed to be a married dad, also 39, who is not thought to be a Barra resident.
The tragic incident took place just 800ft from Iain’s home on the shorefront in Castlebay.
The alarm was raised after their unmanned boat was spotted by the skipper and the RNLI Barra lifeboat crew raced to the scene.
A Coastguard helicopter scoured the area in an attempt to rescue the stricken divers.
The men were recovered at around 1pm by lifeboat crews and rushed to hospital but were pronounced dead a short time later. Police yesterday confirmed next of kin had been informed.
Western Isles area commander Chief Inspector Gordon MacLeod said: “Our thoughts at this difficult time are with the families and friends of the two men who sadly died, as well as with the close community of Barra.
“I would also like to thank members of the public for their assistance to the emergency services during the search and rescue operation.
“Our inquiries are ongoing, although there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstance, and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”