Missing crewmen search suspended

The missing men hail from north east Fife and Aberdeen Enlarge Image

The search for a missing trawler crew has been suspended as arrangements are made for relatives to travel to Norway to identify a body found on Friday.

The Meridian went missing on Thursday, in storms 160 miles east of Aberdeen.

The Norwegian Coastguard said its extensive search for the three other crewmen was suspended at 1630 BST.

The crew are 49-year-old skipper Martin Gardner, Edward Gardner, 50, and Ian Donald, 55, all from Anstruther, Fife, and Sidney Low, 52, from Aberdeen.

The identity of the recovered body has not yet been released.

We are doing everything we can to give the East Neuk families our help and support Supt Bill Lawrie Fife Constabulary

A Fife Constabulary spokesman said specialist family liaison officers would accompany family members to Norway for the identification process of the body found in the North Sea search area.

Supt Bill Lawrie added: "This is an immensely difficult time for all four families concerned.

"We are doing everything we can to give the East Neuk families our help and support."

The Norwegian Coastguard, which has been co-ordinating efforts, said they considered the area had been very well searched and they had no plans to continue their operations on Sunday.

The Meridian disappeared off the radar on Thursday night

RAF aircraft were continuing to carry out patrols.

Further debris from a fishing boat was found on Saturday, including fishing boxes, but nothing directly identifiable as coming from the Meridian.

A survival bag with food, water and medical kit was also recovered, similar to that which was likely to have been in a life raft.

Debris and an empty raft were found on Friday, but the Meridian was equipped with a second life raft which was the focus of the search.

Rescue teams had been working round the clock to find the men, who were carrying out observation work for oil firm Talisman Energy in Norwegian waters.

They extended their search area by several nautical miles on Saturday afternoon, to take into account changing currents and winds.

RAF crews spotted debris in the water during their search

The Kirkcaldy-registered vessel had been caught up in force 10 storms when it disappeared off the radar on Thursday night.

Two Norwegian aircraft were involved in the search, along with a Sea King helicopter from RAF Boulmer, in Northumberland, and a Nimrod from RAF Kinloss, in Moray.

Several fishing boats and oil standby vessels also assisted efforts to locate the crew.

Anstruther councillor Elizabeth Riches said people were still in shock.

She added: "This is a very strong and protective community, which, sadly, is used to fishing disasters.

"These close-knit ties are helping the people of the East Neuk through this distressing and troubling time."