One fisherman dead, two missing after Scottish fishing boat Kilda vanishes off Isle of Lewis

Published 15 October 2026, 08:55

• Reporting from scotland.police.uk, the vessel set sail from Brevaig at 7:30am on October 13 and never came back
• Douglas Craigie, 49, was pulled from the water dead — crewmates Norman 'Tam' Murray, 40, and Murdo Morrison, 23, remain missing
• 'Conditions are very challenging,' warns Chief Inspector Ross McCartney, urging locals not to risk their own lives searching

A Scottish fisherman is dead and two others remain missing after their boat, the Kilda, vanished off the Isle of Lewis on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.

The vessel is believed to have left Brevaig, on the west coast of Lewis, at around 7:30am, heading north to the Port of Ness area to work.

It never came back.

By Tuesday evening the boat was overdue, and police were notified at around 11:35pm.

In the early hours of Wednesday, 14 October, the body of 49-year-old Douglas Craigie was pulled from the water near Port of Ness at approximately 2:45am.

His two crewmates — Norman Murray, 40, known locally as "Tam," and 23-year-old Murdo Morrison — remain unaccounted for.

The vessel itself has also not been located.

All three men are local to the Isle of Lewis, underlining the impact of the tragedy on what is a tight-knit island community.

According to the scotland.police.uk report, Murray and Morrison are being treated as missing persons, with search operations by HM Coastguard and the RNLI ongoing.

Chief Inspector Ross McCartney, local area commander for the Western Isles, confirmed that officers are "working closely with the HM Coastguard and RNLI to search for the vessel and the two missing men."

McCartney issued a direct warning to members of the public tempted to join the search themselves.

"We know that the local community will be keen to help in any way they can. However, conditions are very challenging and I would urge people not to put themselves at any risk," he said. "Please do not attempt to carry out searches in areas which put you at risk of harm."

Instead, McCartney urged anyone with relevant information to contact the emergency services through official channels.

"If you believe you may have any information which could assist emergency services then please call 101 quoting reference 3575 of 13 October," he said, noting that officers will continue to maintain a presence in the Port of Ness area.

The families of all three men are receiving specialist support.

"We would ask that the privacy of the families of all three men are respected at this difficult time," McCartney said.