Search for fisherman

Well over 100 islanders have bean carrying out a large scale search for a missing fishermen.

Paul Alliston from Lewis was the skipper of the MFV Louisa sunk off Mingulay on Saturday morning.

Around 30 boats undertook a number of sweeps off over the sea area while islanders and coastguard teams covered the shores of the Barra Head islands.

Community search for fisherman lost at sea

14 April 2016

Workers from Marine Harvest's Lochboisdale base searched off the Uist coast.

Searcher Shona Steele of South Uist said the local community was rallying round to “hopefully get this man back to his family.”

Another volunteer, Mary Ann Macintyre, said her island of Eriskay “is all fishing” with many men in her own family making their living from the sea so “this is close to home.”

Originally, the boats planned to return by 4pm but many, including Barra lifeboat, stayed out for longer.

Searches were also carried out around Barra and Vatersay while a 30-strong group spread out to cover the shoreline around the southern end of South Uist and Eriskay.

Islanders on Barra converted Castlebay Hall into a canteen for the returning searchers with numerous residents providing a pile of homebaking.

Co-ordinated by Barra RNLI and coastguards, all capable fishing boats in Barra, Eriskay and Lochboisdale participated while many fishermen from other parts of the Western Isles travelled to Barra to assist.

A fast rigid inflatable boat from Uist Sea Tours transported volunteers from South Uist to join search parties heading for Mingulay and neighbouring islands.