Magnetic Rock claims life of kayaker, 19

THE grieving parents of a teenage kayaker, drowned when his craft became trapped beneath a rock on a notorious stretch of rapids, watched silently from the banks of the Tay yesterday, as rescue workers battled to recover his body from the swollen waters of the river.

• Emergency teams battle amid the rapids to free the kayak with

Simon Fletcher's body trapped inside

Emergency teams, battered by ferocious currents on the Grandtully rapids near Aberfeldy, finally succeeded in recovering the body before darkness fell.

They had fought throughout the day in horrendous conditions to free the kayak, with the body of Simon Fletcher, 19, trapped inside.

The kayak had become firmly wedged beneath the "Magnetic Rock" – a massive stone in the middle of the rapids.

Firefighters and police search-and-rescue experts finally managed to recover the body after they used a raft, attached to system of ropes and pulleys, to allow specialists to break apart the trapped kayak.

Simon's body was recovered almost a mile downstream by rescue boat crews.

The student, from Stockton-on-Tees, had been one of the rising stars of canoe water polo and a member of the Great Britain under-21 squad.

His twin brother, Matt, had also been in the 12-strong party from the Tees Tigers Kayak Club who had been training for a weekend kayaking event on the rapids – one of the most popular sites for canoeing and white-water rafting in Scotland.

One canoeist, who was set to compete at the weekend, said: "Everyone is devastated about what has happened here.

"Simon was a really talented guy with a really bright future in the sport. I've no doubt he was destined for bigger and better things.

"He was already in the GB under-21 squad with his brother and was looking at trying to make the full squad in time for the Olympics."

He added: "What happened is just such a freak thing. He wouldn't have been taking unnecessary risks – it's just a one-in-a-million accident."

The kayak, with Simon's body trapped inside, had been wedged beneath the rock and the turbulent waters of the rapids since 1:30pm on Wednesday. At the height of the initial rescue attempt, more than 50 firefighters, police officers and other rescue personnel had been involved in an attempt to use ropes and winches to recover the kayak and the body of the teenager.

Rescue personnel were even lowered to the scene from a Royal Navy helicopter in an attempt to free the teenager's body before nightfall forced the operation to be suspended.

The massive recovery operation resumed at first light yesterday, as rescue teams used a system of ropes and pulleys from the river bank and a nearby bridge to try to hold a dinghy in position above the rock.

Kenny Fraser, the area manager from Tayside Fire and Rescue Service, said the harrowing recovery operation had been one of the most difficult his firefighters had faced for many years.

He said: "It was very, very demanding work. The last two days have been demanding, both technically and emotionally, for everyone involved here. It has been one of the most difficult incidents we have attended for some length of time."

Simon was the third kayaker to lose his life in Scotland in only six days.

Kester Wigram, 51, was reported missing off the coast of Shetland, after he set out last Thursday in his kayak.

Emily Parker, 20, a student, from Doncaster, was killed on Tuesday when her kayak overturned in the swollen waters of the River Coe in Glen Coe.