Police in Scotland started searching again on 21 October 2026 for two fishermen and their boat. The fishing boat Kilda was lost off the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, on 13 October.
Police Scotland said the boat was last known to be near the Port of Ness. This is in the north of the island. One crew member, Douglas Craigie, was found dead early on 14 October. The BBC reported he was 49. His two crewmates, Norman "Tam" Murray, 40, and Murdo Morrison, 23, are still missing. Police published all three names.
What happened in the search
13 October: the Kilda was reported overdue. This means it did not come back when expected.
14 October, about 02:45: the body of Douglas Craigie was recovered in the area.
15 October: HM Coastguard, the UK search and rescue service, stopped its search. It will start again if new information comes in, the BBC reported.
18 October: searches stopped because of bad weather.
21 October: divers from Police Scotland's Marine and Dive Unit went back to an "area of interest" off Ness.
22 October: police divers recovered items from the Kilda in the area of interest off Ness, STV News reported. The two men are still missing.
The position of the wreck is not confirmed. Weather has limited the work of divers and underwater robots. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) had an exclusion zone between the Butt of Lewis and the Port of Ness. Police said it would end at 23:59 on 22 October. Police asked local people not to search in dangerous places themselves.
No distress signal
Duncan MacInnes is secretary of the Western Isles Fishermen's Association. He told the Press and Journal that the boat sank so fast that the crew could not raise the alarm. He said the boat's emergency beacon also did not send a signal.
This beacon is called an EPIRB, an emergency position-indicating radio beacon. It is meant to float free when a boat sinks and send its position by satellite. Mr MacInnes said he hopes the investigation will find out why this did not happen.
The MAIB has sent inspectors to make a first assessment. It will then decide whether to start a full investigation. The MAIB said it is too early to say what caused the sinking.
Mr MacInnes called it one of the worst fishing tragedies in the Western Isles in a generation. A fundraiser for the three families had raised close to £150,000 by 22 October, STV News reported.
What crews can do now
The cause is not known. But the case is a reminder to check the equipment that tells rescuers where you are. These points come from UK rules and official guidance for fishing boats.
Check every EPIRB at least once a month. This is in the UK fishing vessel radio rules. Check that it works and can float free. Check that it is held securely and not damaged.
Look at the hydrostatic release unit (HRU). This is the part that lets the beacon or life raft float free under water. Check its expiry date and that nothing blocks the beacon, such as extra ropes or straps.
UK official guidance says fishing boats under 15 metres must carry a float-free EPIRB. Decked boats of 7 metres and over must also carry a life raft.
The same guidance points to leaflet MCA313. It explains personal locator beacons and man overboard devices that each crew member can wear.
Have enough lifejackets for everyone on board. The guidance says they must have lights.
The Fishermen's Mission offers support to fishing families. The Press and Journal gave its number for calls, texts or WhatsApp: 07827 966023. Anyone with information for the police can call 101 and quote reference 3575 of 13 October.
Cover photo: The small harbour at Port of Ness on the Isle of Lewis, August 2012. Illustrative photo. Photo: Chmee2/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped).
Sources: Police Scotland: Searches for two missing men and fishing vessel resume (21 Oct 2026), BBC News: Search resumes for men missing in 'worst fishing tragedy for a generation' (21 Oct 2026), Press and Journal: Tragic Lewis fishing boat 'didn't issue distress signal as it went down so quickly' (21 Oct 2026), GOV.UK (MCA): Fishing vessel lifesaving appliances and safety equipment, Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2, paragraph 3, STV News: Items from missing fishing boat Kilda recovered during searches off Lewis (22 Oct 2026).
