Missing man’s body found in loch following huge search
A TEENAGER has died after he headed home following a Christmas night out with his friends.
The body of Alasdair McVicar, 19, was pulled from a loch near Dunoon, Argyll, yesterday afternoon.
The teenager, pictured, was last seen by his friends on Argyll Street in the town at 2.40am on Wednesday.
Police, coastguard and mountain rescue teams launched a massive search after Mr McVicar failed to arrive home.
Yesterday more than 70 volunteers helped the emergency services in the search in appalling weather but police called off the hunt in the early afternoon after Mr McVicar’s body was retrieved from Loch Loskin, near his home.
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: ‘Officers had been conducting extensive search activity within the Dunoon area to trace the 19-yearold who was reported missing.
‘As a result of these inquiries Alasdair’s body was removed from the water.’
Police said the teenager’s next of kin have been informed and have formally identified his body.
Chief Inspector Paul Robertson said: ‘It is with deep regret we can confirm the recovery of Alasdair’s body. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.’
Friends last night took to social media to pay tribute to Mr McVicar.
Lauren Davie said: ‘Thoughts and prayers are with the family of Alasdair, who was a lovely quiet boy in my year at school.’
In a separate missing person search, it emerged yesterday that two dogs helped raise the alarm that their owner was missing when they returned home without her.
Air, land and sea searches over the past week have failed to find 52-year-old Crystalla Dean, last seen on December 15 by her daughter at the house they share in Oban, Argyll.
Police confirmed that Mrs Dean’s 22-yearold daughter phoned them after her mother’s pets came back on their own.
Meanwhile, police yesterday updated their appeal to trace Robert Anderson, 34, of Alford, Aberdeenshire.
He was last seen about 7.45am on Thursday and is believed to be driving a white Suzuki Vitara, registration SW66 EZD.