Body recovered from submerged car

THE body of a 42-year-old man has been recovered from a car that crashed into the Caledonian Canal.

Eyewitnesses saw the 4x4 vehicle leaving Canal Road in Inverness and plunging into the water on Wednesday.

It quickly disappeared in the 20ft deep murky water. A rescue operation was launched involving police, Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, RNLI volunteers, coastguards and British Waters staff and an RAF rescue helicopter.

Firefighters and RNLI used an underwater camera on a long pole, but could not find the submerged vehicle due to the visibility belowthe water. Members of the Grampian Police Underwater Search Unit arrived at the scene on Wednesday night and discovered the vehicle with the driver inside. A Northern Constabulary spokesman said: “Unfortunately the remains of a male person were recovered from within the vehicle.”