Bodies found 12 miles away from where storm couple disappeared
TWO bodies have been found during the search for a couple apparently ‘sucked out’ of their car during a storm last week.
James Kenneavy, 79, and his wife Susan, 65, had not been seen since Wednesday afternoon – amid hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours.
Their Ford Kuga car was found a day later, wrecked on a beach at Drummore, Wigtownshire, and yesterday police confirmed that two bodies had been found.
Mr and Mrs Kenneavy were last seen at 3pm on Wednesday and it is believed they were driving back to their home in Drummore.
Their car was found on the village’s beach the following day by workmen clearing debris from Storm Diana, which whipped up 35ft waves along the coast.
The bodies were found 12 miles away, on the far side of Luce Bay.
Police Scotland said the body of a woman was found at the edge of the water in Port William, near Newton Stewart, at 8.15am yesterday. At 8.45am, the body of a man was found nearby.
Formal identification has yet to take place but police believe the bodies are those of the missing couple and have now informed their next of kin. Police Scotland said: ‘A full report will be sent to the procurator fiscal. Our thoughts are with their family at this time.’
Meanwhile inquiries were continuing as police officers attempted to piece together the final movements of the couple, while tributes were paid to them on social media.
It remains unclear whether they were ‘sucked out’ of their vehicle, especially as it was found locked and full of silt, or if they abandoned it after the notorious stretch of coastline road between Stranraer and Drummore became impassable due to heavy flooding.
Locals said yesterday that the stretch of road near where the car was found was known locally as the ‘Drummore car wash’, and that motorists travelling in hazardous weather conditions could be caught unawares.
Vehicles had been known to become stranded there previously after attempting to negotiate their way through three or four feet of water.
Yesterday, the Rev Chris Wallace, minister at Kirkmaiden Parish, Drummore, said: ‘Everybody is absolutely devastated by this sad news.
‘We had all been praying that they would be found safely, had possibly taken shelter somewhere, but unfortunately this wasn’t the case.
‘Special prayers will be said for James and Susan as well as their family and many friends during the church service in the hope it brings some small comfort.’
Within hours of the news that two bodies had been discovered, messages of sympathy were posted on Facebook by friends and neighbours of the couple, who had long been part of the community.
Tess Machling said: ‘How terribly sad... thinking of their friends and family.’
Diane Goodill wrote: ‘So very sad. Thoughts are with the family.’ Neighbours George Gregory and Lynne Copland had earlier described Mr and Mrs Kenneavy as a ‘very nice couple’, and said their disappearance had been a ‘shock to the system’.
Mr Gregory said: ‘I’ve been here more than 20 years now and Jim lived here when I first came here – he was one of the local characters, a nice friendly fellow.’
Another neighbour, Maureen Graham, 71, said the couple were ‘very popular’ in the village and spoke also of Mrs Kenneavy’s great love of animals. It is understood one of the couple’s dogs, a border collie, is still missing.
Resident Edward Beck said of his friend Mr Kenneavy: ‘He was always smartly dressed whenever he went out, in collar and tie.
‘He was very humorous, smart, clever – a witty man.
‘No matter what he was going through, he always brought cheer to people’s faces. He would make people smile.’
More than 40 emergency workers – including coastguard, lifeboat and mountain rescue teams – had spent most of Friday combing more than 20 miles of coastline in a bid to find the retired couple.
‘He always brought cheer to people’s faces’