Police Scotland have confirmed that two bodies have been recovered following an extensive search over the weekend for two men missing on a speedboat off the Dumfries and Galloway coast
Two bodies have been recovered from the west coast of the Irish Sea following a large scale search for two men missing in a speedboat.
The men were last seen setting off on a leisure trip on an 18-foot black Fletcher speedboat.
They left Port Logan in Dumfries and Galloway at 9am on Saturday (6 May).
In a statement, Inspector Stephen Bell from the Dumfries and Galloway Police Division, said: “Following a joint search operation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the RNLI and Police Scotland, we can confirm that the bodies of two men have been recovered from the west coast of the Irish Sea.”
“The men are yet to be formally identified, but are believed to be the that of the 46 year-old man and 35 year-old man, who police understand launched their speed boat from Port Logan at around 9am on Saturday 6th May. Enquiries are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” concluded the inspector.
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A full scale search operation got underway on Saturday night, after the alarm was raised at 6.15pm when the men failed to return to Port Logan.
Police Scotland confirmed that the destination of the two men was unknown, but it was believed they were heading in the direction of Stranraer.
Two search and rescue helicopters from Prestwick and Caenarforn in Wales, coastguard rescue teams and several RNLI lifeboats were involved in the search, which initially focused on the Mull of Galloway.
It is believed both men were wearing life jackets and one of them was wearing a dry suit.
Coastguard rescue teams from Portpatrick, Stranraer, Ballantrae, the Isle of Whithorn and Bangor in County Down, Northern Ireland were involved in the operation.
They were joined by lifeboats from Port William, Stranraer, Donaghadee, in Northern Ireland, and Ramsey and Peel on the Isle of Man.