Fund launched to find missing fisherman's body

Published on Sunday 26 October 2003 01:00

THE family of a Benbecula fisherman lost at sea last month have begun organising fund-raising in order to locate and raise his body.

Murdo McArthur, a creel fisherman, who was last seen one mile west of the Western Isles on September 16, has not been found since his vessel disappeared in worsening weather and high winds.

His family believe they know roughly where he lies and that it would be practical to mount a search and raise the body.

They are angered by the refusal of the government to help with the cost of the operation and believe ministers should organise a fund which could pay local diving crews to help search for bodies.

In 1997, the government sparked outrage when it ruled out paying towards the cost of raising the Peterhead-registered Sapphire, which was lost with its four crew. The local community was forced to raise 500,000 to pay for the recovery itself.

While McArthur’s family will continue to campaign for the government to act, they have begun organising how to collect the cash needed for a search. Searches at sea usually cost thousands of pounds.

It would involve using an underwater camera to search the area in which McArthur was last seen - about a mile north-west of North Uist. Once the body or the wreck of his vessel was found, a diver would be sent down to recover the corpse.

Susan Cooper, McArthur’s sister, said: "We still believe that the government should have a role in helping out with this, but in the meantime we are trying to get the cash together ourselves."

Fishing communities have become increasingly reluctant to follow the tradition of allowing the bodies of loved ones to remain lost at sea.

They believe that if it is possible to mount an operation to recover the body then it should go ahead and that the government should be prepared to foot at least part of the bill.