Family pays tribute after Loch Doon kayak deathon March 28, 2022 at 12:31 pm

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Scott Ferries, 24, died after getting into difficulties at Loch Doon in East Ayrshire.

Scott Ferries and dog Roxy

Image source, Facebook

The family of a 24-year-old man who died after getting into difficulty in a loch while kayaking in East Ayrshire have paid tribute to him.

Scott Ferries, a mechanic from Ayr, died at Loch Doon, near Dalmellington, while on a camping and kayaking weekend.

His death came two days after new water safety plan was announced to reduce accidents in Scotland’s waterways.

Six death people died in lochs in one weekend last summer.

Last week an 18-year-old man died in the water at Mugdock Country Park in East Dunbartonshire.

The emergency services were alerted at about 13:15 on Sunday, and tried to resuscitate Mr Ferries, but he died at the scene.

Another man who was also reported to be in the water did not need medical attention.

His father James Ferries told BBC Scotland that his son was about 50 yards (45m) from the shore when his inflatable kayak capsized.

He was told it was likely his son had suffered shock caused by the cold water, which would not have been affected by the warm weather on Sunday.

Mr Ferries wrote on Facebook that his “baby boy” passed away “while enjoying life up camping and kayaking” with his friends and beloved dog Roxy.

A witness to the accident offered her condolences and said the “emergency services worked so so hard to resuscitate” Mr Ferries.

His brother Kyle also paid also tribute on the social network, saying he was “absolutely heartbroken” at the death.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

Loch Doon

Image source, Google

Loch Doon is the largest freshwater loch in Southern Scotland and is used as a storage reservoir for Scottish Power’s hydro electric scheme.

Wild camping is permitted on its shores.

“Worst in memory”

On Friday it was announced that signs would be installed at hotspots around Scotland’s lochs, beaches and reservoirs in a bid to prevent accidents in the water.

It is part of a Scottish government water safety plan in response to several deaths in Scotland last year as people enjoyed the warm weather and holidays in Scotland.

Four children and two adults died in lochs and rivers over three days last year – in a weekend described as “the worst in memory“.

The new safety initiative also includes water safety lessons in schools and the development of Scotland’s water safety code.

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Ukraine war: Russia’s ex-president among 370 new UK sanctions targetson March 15, 2022 at 2:06 pm

Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin's spokesman are among those to be hit with asset freezes and travel bans.Image source, Getty ImagesThe UK has...

Ben Garuccio scores a scorpian-style goal for Western Unitedon February 20, 2022 at 4:05 pm

Western United defender Ben Garuccio scores a potential goal of the year contender with a sensational overhead flick during an A-League match against Western...

UK inflation rate calculator: How much are prices rising for you?on November 16, 2022 at 7:09 am

Use our calculator to find out how much the cost of living is going up in your household.Use our calculator to find out how...

Arsenal postponement ‘strange and surprising’ – Spurs boss Conteon January 18, 2022 at 4:04 pm

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says the Premier League should only postpone matches because of Covid-19 cases and not for injuries or players on international...

Ringo Starr drops legal fight over Ring O sex toyson June 25, 2021 at 10:41 am

The Beatles drummer had challenged the trademark, saying it's too similar to his name.image copyrightGetty ImagesSir Ringo Starr has dropped his legal case against...