Search for man in Tay ends as darkness falls

PERTH: River a hive of activity as search teams scour the area following report

A major search and rescue operation was called off yesterday as darkness fell along the banks of the River Tay in Perth.

Emergency services, including the coastguard helicopter and multiple Scottish Fire and Rescue lifeboats, raced to the scene following reports that a man had been seen going under the water near the North Muirton area and not resurfacing.

Rescue workers lined the river from Tay Street along North Inch while their colleagues could be seen scrambling over garden fences as they searched the banks on the Bridgend side of the water.

A large number of emergency workers circled the river for hours after being alerted to reports of a stricken man with blond hair at around 2pm.

The SFRS set up an incident command centre to co-ordinate the rescue attempt but as the light disappeared shortly after 5pm emergency services crews said they would have to call off the search without any confirmed sighting of the suspected casualty.

A police spokesman said: “Emergency services carried out a search of the River Tay near to North Muirton, Perth, following the report of a sighting of a man in the water around 2pm on February 4.

“The report indicated that a man, only described as being white and with blondcoloured hair, was seen in the River Tay, before going under and not resurfacing. “The river at this time is quite high.” Inspector Dave Gibson asked anyone who was in the area of the River Tay yesterday afternoon to call in on the 101 number if they saw or heard anything that might help the search.

An SFRS spokesman said: “Two boat teams from Perth and Dundee’s Kingsway as well as three appliances from Perth and Dunkeld were in attendance.”

Coastguard bosses said crews from Leven, St Andrews, Kinghorn and South Queensferry also joined the search and the rescue helicopter from Prestwick Airport had flown to Perth to assist.

One eyewitness said: “The dinghy was going up and down the river looking for something.

“There were a lot of rescuers in people’s gardens on the Bridgend side of the river. They were looking out on to the Tay from there.”

“Just before 4.30pm, some of the emergency services vehicles shot over the bridge and headed out towards Bridgend.”

The report indicated that a man, only described as being white and with blond-coloured hair, was seen in the River Tay, before going under and not resurfacing. POLICE SPOKESMAN

Picture: Mhairi Edwards.