Body found in sea off Eriskay
24 October 2024
Maritime emergency services have recovered the body of a man from the sea off the Western Isles.
Crew of a passing CalMac ferry raised the alarm after spotting the body floating on rough waves around 10 miles east of Eriskay around 11.30am on Thursday.
The ship, MV Isle of Mull, was crossing the Sea of the Hebrides on a track between Barra and Oban.
The body was discovered about midway between South Uist and the Isle of Rum said Stornoway Coastguard
Coastguard said they were notified directly by the ferry and given the position. The vessel was unable to stop due to adverse sea state and weather conditions.
Barra RNLI lifeboat swiftly launched to the scene and the coastguard rescue helicopter took off from Stornoway.
A coastguard spokesman said the rescue services very quickly arrived at the location and the body was recovered onboard Barra lifeboat which headed to Eriskay harbour.
At present, it is unknown who the man came to be floating so far offshore.
No sign of a boat was evident nearby. The ferry crew scanned the area but no wreckage was visible on the surface of the sea said coastguards.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 2.35pm on Thursday, 24 October, we received a report of a body in the water near the Isle of Barra.
“Emergency services attended and the body of a man has been recovered.
“The death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
Normally, the ferry would not have sailed so far to the north but a CalMac notice indicates the MV Isle of Mull was operating an amended timetable out of Castlebay in Barra with an extended passage via the small uninhabited islet of Hyskeir by Rum in a bid to avoid the worst of the bad weather.
