A Fife fisherman says he warned three anglers about approaching bad weather just hours before their boat capsized in the Firth of Forth.
Alan Cunningham, 56, from Leslie, said he had been “devastated” to hear that the three men he saw on the water on Monday afternoon appear to have lost their lives in a tragic accident.
East Wemyss man Birrell Stewart, 30, has been confirmed dead. He was rescued from the water and airlifted to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, but could not be saved.
Search teams are still looking for Jason Buchan, 35, who also lived in the village, and David Stead, who is understood to have moved to the area from Hartlepool.
“It’s just devastating for the families to know that their loved ones aren’t coming back,” Mr Cunningham said.
“I go out every second day in my boat and I spoke to the three of them yesterday.
“There was starting to be a swell so I said to the boys ‘I’m heading in because there’s a swell coming up’.
“I came in and then after 5pm I was told they had been lost. I couldn’t believe it.”
He added: “Out there you must be prepared because water changes so quick.
“I think they’ve taken water in and with it being such a small boat with three people in, that’s what’s happened.”
Mr Cunningham said he knew one of the dead men quite well and said he was an experienced fisherman.
For more on the tragedy, see Wednesday’s Courier or try our digital edition.