Canal plunge tragedy sparks barrier calls

CALLS are being made for barriers to be installed next to the Muirtown Locks where a car and its driver plunged into the Caledonian Canal.

The body of a man, believed to be from the Inverness area, and the car were retrieved by specialist police divers late on Wednesday night — about 12 hours after a large-scale emergency operation was launched in Canal Road.

The drama began at 11.27am on Wednesday when the emergency services were called to the locks following reports of a red vehicle going into the canal opposite The Floor Centre.

Staff at local businesses, who raised the alarm, reported seeing the vehicle coming down the road, onto the car park and missing a large bollard before going off the canal wall and submerging quickly beneath the water.

Tyremarks were visible on the ground leading to the canal, which is up to 20ft deep.

Although the full circumstances are not yet clear, shocked business people are now calling for a barrier or bollards to be out up at the canalside to prevent a similar incident happening.

City Taxis manager Kevin Clark said footage on a CCTV camera at his premises shows the vehicle apparently veering towards the canal between the fence and the railings.

"If you notice, there are barriers further down the canal," Mr Clark said. "Even if three bollards were put in there at that spot, it would save lives. It is as simple as that."

Next door at Creative Skate Store, owners Chris Wilson and James King echoed similar views. Mr King pointed out that other areas further along the canal are sectioned off from the road by railings, fences or bollards.

"It is the only section of the canal which doesn’t have a barrier and which has direct access to the road," he said. "There should be a gate or something there."

Mr Wilson agreed. "If a barrier is installed, it would definitely prevent a similar incident to what happened this week," he said.

Inverness West councillor Alasdair Christie agrees it is something that should be looked at in the wake of Wednesday’s tragedy.

"I don’t know anything about the circumstances of this incident, or the individual," Councillor Christie said.

"It is very tragic and sad.

"We have to wait and see what comes out of the investigation."

British Waterways Scotland is also awaiting the results of the on-going police inquiries.

"It is the policy of British Waterways not to put up barriers on the canal," said Russell Thomson, waterways manager for the Highlands.

"The whole idea of the canal is that it is an accessible place for people to enjoy.

"However, if something comes out of the police investigation which suggests we need to look at it, we will. But it is a current investigation and we need to see what the outcome is."

As The Inverness Courier went to press, Northern Constabulary had not yet named the dead man.

During the search firefighters used an underwater camera on a long pole in an attempt to locate the body but, due to the depth and darkness of the water, could see nothing.

It was then the underwater search unit from Grampian was drafted in and began diving operations on Wednesday evening, making their grim discovery.

Services involved in the initial response included police, High-

lands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, RNLI, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and British Waterways.