Tributes to Loch Lomond victims, as six die in Scottish water in 24 hours
Last updated 26th Jul 2021
The family of a nine year old boy, who died in Loch Lomond, along with his mother and a family friend, say they are "heartbroken".
Rana Haris Ali, Edina Olahova, 29, and Muhammad Asim Riaz, 41, got into difficulty while swimming on Saturday evening.
A seven year old boy is fighting for life in hospital, after being pulled from the water near Pulpit Rock, south of Ardlui.
"Worst weekend in our history"
The Chief Executive of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs: "This has undoubtedly been one of the worst weekends in the National Park’s history.
"We work hard to help people enjoy the waters of the National Park safely and responsibly using a range of measures, including new safety equipment on our sites, clear signage and safety campaigns in the summer months.
"Over the coming days we will, along with our partners, reflect on the events of this weekend and discuss what more can be done by us all to prevent further tragedies in our lochs."
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "These are just heartbreaking human tragedies, and my thoughts and condolences are with everyone who has lost a loved one in the last few days.
"Scotland is blessed with some of the most beautiful lochs, rivers and beaches anywhere in the world, and it's understandable that, combined with the weather we've had in the last couple of weeks, people want to get into the water.
"As well as mourning the loss, this is an opportunity to reflect on what more we can do to educate young people on the dangers of water."
Fiona Bray, who teaches water sports on Loch Lomond, said: "It's unnecessary, it really is.
"Particularly here, it shouldn't happen at all.
"My advice would be to sit on the beach. You can dip your feet in the water, put your pressure points in to cool yourself down.
"There are sandbanks which can give people a false sense of security.
"Loch Lomond is notorious for its ridges, it's something we warn people about.
"There's sand, and then there's not, and even the surprise of that can catch people off guard."
"Hard to comprehend"
The tragedy at Loch Lomond was the fourth in Scottish waters in just 24 hours.
The first fatality occurred on Friday evening, when a 16-year-old boy died in the water at Balloch Country Park, at the south end of Loch Lomond, on Friday.
He has been named as Connor Markward, from the east end of Glasgow.
An 11-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene after being found in the river at Alexander Hamilton Memorial Park in Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire, at 4.30pm on Saturday afternoon.
Police were then called out to Hazelbank in Lanark at 5.55pm, following the report of a concern for a person in the water.
Emergency services who attended at the scene recovered a body from the water, with the family of a 13-year-old boy been made aware of the incident.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams, of Police Scotland, said the number of deaths that had taken place in open waters over Friday and Saturday was "hard to comprehend''.
He stated: "The warm weather can make open water swimming and paddling very inviting but it is extremely dangerous, even for the most experienced swimmers or supervised children. The conditions can change very quickly and there are often hidden risks like deeper water and strong currents.
"The message I want to send to everyone is exercise extreme caution. It is better to keep a safe distance from water if possible.
"Tragically, this weekend has highlighted that open water is very, very dangerous.''
He urged people: "If you see someone in the water and distressed, call 999 immediately.
"Remember, you could get into difficulty yourself trying to help so please take care and seek help as soon as possible.''
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