From glory days to river tragedy

Stephen Stewart
BBC Scotland news website

Vessels searched for crew members at the scene in Clydebank

It was once the busiest stretch of Scotland's biggest river.

The River Clyde at Clydebank has a glorious history in shipbuilding.

But a huge shadow was cast over the area which gave birth to the likes of the QE2.

Search teams continued to look for three crew members from the capsized Flying Phantom.

The tug went underwater in freezing conditions just yards from the former John Brown shipyard and the Titan Crane, now a nascent tourist attraction.

I was amazed that such a big accident could happen almost on your doorstep Student James McKenzie

Staff and students from the nearby new Clydebank College campus were shaken by the unfolding drama before them on the bank of the Clyde.

James McKenzie, 28, a student, said: "I heard about this last night and I saw them restart the search this morning.

"I was amazed that such a big accident could happen almost on your doorstep.

"The weather is terrible and my heart goes out to the men and their families."

Search crews took to the water at first light

Police, coastguard, MoD police, fire service and even mountain rescue teams continued to arrive at the scene throughout the day.

As daylight allowed the search for the men to resume, the freezing fog closed in yet again to confound recovery efforts.

Another student, who did not want to be named, said: "We could see the whole search from the canteen.

"It's horrendous to think these men went to work one night and might not come back.

"It seems like such a calm stretch of water but apparently it is very deep there and the currents can be strong."

As the day wore on, the focus changed from a search and rescue mission to find survivors to a recovery operation.