Seafarers have been urged to ensure they are always properly equipped in the wake of this week’s boat tragedy off the coast of Fife.
Thirty-year-old Birrell Stewart died after the 10-foot vessel he was in capsized near East Wemyss on Monday afternoon, while there has been no trace as yet of his friends David Stead, 47, and Jason Buchan, 35, who were also on board.
The trio, who all lived in the village, had set out on a fishing expedition from East Wemyss Angling Club but failed to return.
Mr Stewart was spotted by a RAF rescue helicopter from Boulmer and pulled from the sea around an hour-and-a-half after their boat overturned in a squall, but was later pronounced dead at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
With all hope of the other two men being found alive dwindling, the attention has now turned to what caused the boat to roll and specialists from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch have been drafted in to look at the circumstances surrounding Monday’s incident.
It is understood they are examining weather conditions at the time, the three men’s backgrounds and how experienced they were on the water, the seaworthiness of the vessel, and claims locally that they may not have been wearing life jackets.
While that has not been ruled in or out yet, Robbie Robertson, HM Coastguard sector manager, said the incident once again highlighted how dangerous being out on the water can be.
“I don’t want anyone to think that I’m putting anything on to the incident here but when you are going to sea you’ve got to go out fully prepared, with life jackets, with flares, and let people know where you are going,” he said.
“Tragedy can occur at any time.
“We’ve not had much of a summer this summer at all but it just shows you that a squall can come through.”
The search for Mr Stead and Mr Buchan was scaled back significantly yesterday although Police Scotland are still treating the case as a missing persons enquiry and had a helicopter scouring much of the Fife coastline stretching from West Wemyss right up to Kincraig Point.
Chief Inspector Adrian Annandale, local area commander, said officers will “primarily” be involved in continuing to look for the two men but stressed that it is being viewed as a search and recovery operation.
However, he urged members of the public to help where possible and do so safely.
“I’d like to thank the local community for their support, and obviously we’ve seen a lot of people around about the shoreline,” he added.
“There’s no reason why that can’t continue, and we’d urge people out walking their dogs on their shoreline to stay vigilant.
“We don’t have a definitive as to where the tides and currents may take the two missing people, but we have been focused on the area around East Wemyss.”
Local councillor Tom Adams admitted the events of the last few days had hit the area hard.
“It is devastating and the whole fishing community will be devastated,” he concluded.
“People around the Wemyss villages, Dysart and Lower Largo go out in their boats all the time and it will take some time to get over.”