It started as a relaxing fishing weekend for five friends, but hours later tragedy struck

Published on Saturday 21 March 2009 18:34

ON FIRST inspection it is an idyllic image: chairs arranged around a campfire and a fishing rod set up by the side of one of Scotland's best trout lochs.

But two members of the group were yesterday confirmed dead and another two missing after a late-night boat trip on Loch Awe turned to tragedy.

The four fishermen from Glasgow got into trouble after taking their small motorboat from their makeshift campsite across the loch to a bar late on Friday night, despite a descending mist.

A fifth member of the group, who had stayed behind to look after the campsite, raised the alarm in the early hours of yesterday after hearing the sounds of his friends in distress.

The two men who died were named last night as William Carty, 47, and Craig Currie, 30. The two missing men are Steven Carty, 42, brother of William, and Thomas Douglas, 36.

Rescuers called to the scene could also hear the men's cries for help, but their search efforts were severely hindered by darkness and dense mist, with visibility less than 10 metres.

Strathclyde Police yesterday confirmed that the bodies of Carty and Currie were found early yesterday morning. They were wearing lifejackets.

Police, Clyde Coastguard and an RAF rescue helicopter were involved in the hunt. The search for the boat and Steven Carty and Douglas are continuing. The fifth man, a 38-year-old, is helping police with their inquires.

Loch Awe, known as 'the Jewel of Argyll', is the longest freshwater loch in Scotland and is highly popular with anglers for its trout, pike, char and perch.

The men arrived on Friday evening and set up camp on the shores of the loch.

At 11pm the four decided to take their boat one mile across the loch to visit The Tight Line pub. They got into difficulties on their return journey a few hours later.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Fire & Rescue said: "On arrival at the scene, the fire crews could hear calls for assistance from the loch. Unfortunately visibility was down to five metres and they could not see anyone.

"The officer in charge requested the assistance of a rescue boat from Renfrew Fire Station. A helicopter was also sent by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency but was unable to locate the missing persons because of the poor visibility.

"When the rescue boat arrived from Renfrew they rescued two male adults from the water. Both were wearing lifejackets. The two men were unconscious and in a poor condition. Sadly both were declared dead at the scene."

The owners of The Tight Line pub said the group were not drunk when they left and were well equipped, suggesting the foggy, freezing weather conditions may have played a role in the accident.

Anna Price, 33, said: "They were lovely guys. We never had a problem with them. They came in here every other weekend and they were regulars.

"Last night they came to say hello very briefly. I think they literally just popped in to say hello and the pub closed at 1am."

Her mother, Marie Sommerville, 56, also one of the pub's owners, said:

"They were definitely not drunk. The weather was just a pea-souper. I think it is just a tragic accident. We wouldn't have let them leave and get in a boat drunk, no way."

Donald Wilson, who runs Loch Awe Boat Hire,

said: "It was a private boat. They were camping by the lochside, and I believe they had a very small boat.

"It's awful and it's not good for the loch for these things that can be avoided. Darkness and water are a fatal combination."