Two divers die off coast of Isle of Barra

Two divers have died after getting into difficulty in waters off the coast of an island in the Outer Hebrides.

A coastguard helicopter was dispatched to the scene. Picture: John Devlin

A ferry skipper raised the alarm with Stornoway Coastguard when he noticed a small unmanned boat off Castlebay, Barra, at around 11.20am on Saturday.

The coastguard helicopter and rescue teams were sent to the scene and the divers were found by Barra lifeboat crew at around 1pm. They both died at the scene.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokeswoman said: “Two shell fish divers have been recovered by the RNLI Barra lifeboat after a search in Castle Bay, Barra Island, this morning.

“At 11.20am Stornoway Coastguard was contacted by a local ferry boat skipper who had noticed two divers go into the water and not resurface, leaving their small boat unmanned.

“The RNLI Barra lifeboats were asked to search the area along with the coastguard rescue helicopter based in Stornoway and Barra Coastguard Rescue Team.”

Police Scotland said inquiries were at an early stage to establish the full circumstances of the deaths.