A FATHER has died and his 13-year-old son is missing after a canoe tragedy in the Outer Hebrides.
Coastguard teams launched a major search after a woman spotted the canoe off the west coast of Lewis yesterday afternoon. She raised the alarm at around 4pm.
She had spotted the pair out to sea near the village of Bragar and after leaving the area, she returned 15 minutes later and saw their empty canoe washed up on the beach.
Stornoway Coastguard called out five rescue teams from Ness, Bragar, Breasclate, Stornoway, and Mavaig.
The Coastguard rescue helicopter was scrambled and the Stornoway lifeboat was also launched.
The helicopter recovered a 60-year-old man from the sea who was taken to the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway but later died.
Weather conditions were said to be favourable as the search for the 13-year-old boy continued today.
A spokesman for Stornoway Coastguard said: "A man has died and the search will continue for his 13-year-old-son today."
The father and son are believed to be from the island.
Northern Constabulary said the man would not be named until next-of-kin had been informed.
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