UPDATE: Decision taken not to resume search for missing woman diver off Sutherland coast
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A major search for a missing woman diver off the Sutherland coast has been called off, fuelling fears of a second diving tragedy off Scotland in a week.
Fears are growing for the leisure diver who failed to surface from a morning dive on Thursday.
The alarm was raised just before 11am when she became overdue from resurfacing off Kinlochbervie. She was with a party of other divers.
The coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway, Lochinver Lifeboat, a coastguard tug and coastguard teams had all scoured the area for her.
But a spokeswoman for the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said today: “Despite the extensive search of the area throughout the day, we could not find the diver and the decision was made by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre to terminate the search.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing diver.”
When the alarm was raised on Thursday, nearby vessels had also been contacted by radio to keep a look-out.
Coastguards had received a report from a dive vessel that one of its party of divers having failed to resurface near Kinlochbervie.
Kinlochbervie and Mellness coastguard rescue teams were sent, alongside the Lochinver RNLI lifeboat and the helicopter from Stornoway.
The Coastguard ETV (Emergency Tow Vessel) Ievoli Black had also joined the search effort further offshore.
Only a few days ago a diver died after exploring a wreck in Orkney.
Police Scotland said he was 57-year-old David Pleace from Derby.
There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.
Emergency services first launched the search for the missing man in Scapa Flow at 2.50pm on Sunday - but failed to locate him.
On Monday Police Scotland confirmed the body of a diver had been found after a resumed search.
Last month a man died after getting into difficulties while diving on a wreck off Shetland.
The 68-year-old, from Northamptonshire, was diving off the island of Bressay.
Coastguards were among emergency services called out to help the rescue effort and the diver was flown to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick.
A second man, aged 52, was also taken to hospital for treatment and was later discharged. Police Scotland said there were no suspicious circumstances.
It is believed the men were diving on the wreck of the fishing vessel Fraoch Ban.
In October a diver exploring a WW1 wreck in Scapa Flow died.
The man was believed to be diving on the German battleship SMS Markgraf.
The ship, which lies in 45 metres (148ft) is often thought of as "the jewel in the Scapa Flow crown".
A body was recovered following a search involving the Stromness and Longhope lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter.
The Flow is the scene of the scuttling of the German Fleet in Scapa Flow.
Some 52 ships were sunk on June 21 in 1919.
The seven wrecks that remain are scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and are a popular attraction for divers.
All four König class battleships – Markgraf, König, Grosser Kurfürst and Kronprinz – were involved in the majority of the High Seas Fleet action during the war.
