Holly Buchanan’s remains found in Loch Lomond

By NICK JEDRZEJEWSKI
Published on 07/02/2013 14:46

HUMAN remains washed up on an island in a loch have been identified as those of a 13-year-old girl who drowned with her father in a boating accident there seven years ago.

• Holly and her father were thrown into water but bodies never recovered

• Remians of a foot washed up on Inchmoan island identified as Holly’s

• Compulsory for boat users in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to wear lifejackets since tragedy

Holly Buchanan and her father Angus, 45, died in Loch Lomond when their dinghy lurched suddenly, throwing the pair into the water on 13 March, 2005.

Holly, a second-year pupil at the High School of Glasgow, and her stockbroker father drowned while a second daughter, Chloe, then 15, survived after attempting to rescue them.

Police conducted extensive searches of the area at the time but the bodies were never found. The search covered a 20km area taking in the coastline from Rosspoint to Balmaha Pier.

Divers also searched the loch to depths of 65ft in what Central Scotland Police described at the time as “very poor” visibility.

In November last year, the remains of a foot were washed up on Inchmoan Island in the loch and forensic tests at Glasgow University identified it as belonging to Holly, Strathclyde Police said yesterday.

Following the recovery on 11 November 2012, further land and underwater searches were carried out by specialist officers from both Strathclyde and Central Scotland Police. Nothing further has been found to date.

Mr Buchanan, from Hillhead in Glasgow, had taken his daughters for a day trip on the loch, stopping off for a picnic on one of the islands.

A report into the tragedy found the boat’s steering system was faulty and the family had not worn lifejackets as they were accidentally left at home. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said elder daughter Chloe tried to save the pair by jumping in the loch.

The cold water, with a temperature of around 3C, would have had a very quick effect in reducing their ability to stay afloat, the MAIB ruled. Had they been wearing lifejackets, the father could have survived for 60 minutes in the water while his daughter could have survived for up to 43 minutes.

A passing cruiser had seen the boat at a distance and passengers saw older sister Chloe raise an arm. However, the people on the cruiser mistook this gesture as a greeting and not one of alarm.

Since the accident it has been compulsory for all boat users to wear a lifejacket on Loch

Lomond.