Body found in Dow Loch ice victim search

POLICE divers searching a loch where a man has been missing since Easter Monday after falling through the ice have recovered a body.

The discovery at Loch Dow in the Cleish area of Kinross-shire at 5:25pm yesterday came as police searched for Alan McKenzie, 48, a primary school head master at Errol Primary in Perthshire. Mr McKenzie, a father-of-two, had been on a family day out when the tragedy occurred.

His distraught partner and two daughters watched helplessly as he slipped beneath the surface after the family had ventured out on to the ice-covered surface of the small loch after sledging on a nearby hillside.

He had shouted to the others to get clear of the loch surface when they tried to reach him.

Mr McKenzie, who had walked further out on to the loch than the other members of his family, slipped beneath the surface after clinging on to the ice for about 20 minutes.

His partner, Christina, and daughters Sylvie, 14, and Mollie, eight, are said to have been left totally devastated.

A police spokeswoman for Tayside Police said: “Police full expect that this is the body of Alan McKenzie.”

However, it will not be possible for the body to be identified until today.

Divers from Police Scotland, from units in Grampian and Strathclyde, along with fire and ambulance services spent

three days searching for Mr ­McKenzie.

Yesterday tributes were paid to the “gentle and caring” primary school headmaster.

In a statement released yesterday, Mr McKenzie’s partner said: “We are a very private family and we hope that our privacy can be respected at what it is a trying and very difficult time for us all.”

Councillor Bob Band, the convener of the lifelong learning committee of Perth and Kinross Council, led the tributes to Mr McKenzie.

He said: “We are all

deeply shocked to learn of the accident this week. Our thoughts, and I am sure those of staff, pupils and parents, are with Alan’s family, friends and colleagues at this very difficult time.”

He added: “We know Alan to be a gentle, caring man and a very enthusiastic and deeply committed educator, with expertise in and a passion for the early years.”

Mr McKenzie lived in East Brackley, near Loch Leven. His career in education in Perth and Kinross schools began in 1989. He spent some time in Fife, before returning to the area as head teacher of Errol Primary in August 2004.

Tributes to Mr McKenzie, were also paid on the Facebook page of the Tayside division of Police Scotland and on other social media websites.

Caroline Garvie wrote: “Alan McKenzie was an amazing headmaster and will be very much missed by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”

Samantha Gallacher posted: “One of the best head teachers ever. Nicest guy.”

Neighbour Helen Murray wrote on Facebook: “RIP Alan, my lovely neighbour from Scotland who fell through a frozen lake and spent 20 desperate minutes clinging to the ice while his two daughters and wife could do nothing. My heart goes out to little Mollie and Sylvie and the rest of his family for this devastating news.”