Two men, 22 and 26, found dead at Scots waterfall as police launch investigation

Two men have died following a horror incident at a Scots beauty spot.

Emergency services raced to the Linn of Tummel waterfall near Blair Atholl, in Perthshire, after the alarm was raised at around 7pm on Wednesday, April 17.

Officers from Police Scotland received a report of two men, aged 22 and 26 years, in the water. Following searches of the area, two bodies were recovered from the water.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances, however, there would not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.

A 39-year-old man died on Saturday and two women were rescued from the water after an incident in Clackmannanshire on Saturday.

Emergency services raced to Dollar Glen at around 10.30am on Saturday, April 12 after being made aware of three people in danger in the water.

The man was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.

A new system aiming to reduce accidental drowning deaths in Scotland by looking into the circumstances of previous fatalities was launched in May 2023.

It comes after increasing scrutiny over the issue of water safety during the summer season.

The Drowning and Incident Review - created between the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) alongside Water Safety Scotland - aims to reduce the number of accidental deaths by half by 2026.

An average of 96 people lose their lives across the country due to a water-related fatality every year.

In 2021, seven people died over one weekend at Loch Lomond in a 'summer of tragedy' of drowning deaths.

Among them was Edina Olahova, 29, her son Rana Haris Ali, nine, and their friend Mohammad Asim Raza, 41, who all died after getting into difficulty in the loch on July 24.

Teenager Connor Markward also died in the loch on the same day. The 16-year-old was found dead following a major coastguard rescue operation at Balloch Castle Country Park.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 7pm on Wednesday, we received a report of two men, aged 22 and 26 years, in the water at the Linn of Tummel waterfall near Blair Atholl.

“Emergency services attended and following searches in the area, the bodies of two men were recovered from the water.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances, however, there would not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding these deaths. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

A spokesperson for Water Safety Scotland added: "The water safety guidance for anyone in or around Scotland’s waterways is to follow the three-step water safety code. First is to stop and think and spot the dangers of your chosen environment.

"Secondly, stay together and stay close as being with others is beneficial if you get into difficulty. Lastly, in an emergency call 999 to alert emergency services. Further information and specific activity guidance can be found on the Water Safety Scotland website."

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