Man's body is recovered and two are still missing after fishing vessel goes missing off Outer Hebrides as Met issues yellow weather warning

Man's body is recovered and two are still missing after fishing vessel goes missing off Outer Hebrides as Met issues yellow weather warning A man's body has been recovered while two other men are still missing after a fishing vessel was reported missing on Tuesday night, amid yellow weather warnings in the area. Police Scotland was alerted around 11.35pm on Tuesday to reports of a missing boat off the coast of Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the alarm was first raised around 9.20pm after the boat failed to reach its destination, while the RNLI said Stornoway's all-weather lifeboat was launched at 9.42pm. Formal identification of the body is yet to take place, though it is believed he was the skipper. The other two men are thought to be crew members. At least two of the three men are believed to have children. Their families have been made aware and are being supported by officers. One local said it was believed the boat used by the fishermen was not their regular craft, which was unavailable. A plane, two helicopters, six coastguard rescue teams, two RNLI lifeboats, a local boat and Police Scotland are all involved in the search efforts. Lochinver Lifeboat only returned around 8am after a long search in gale-lashed seas after it launched around midnight. A man's body has been recovered while two other men are still missing after a fishing vessel was reported missing on Tuesday night off the coast of Port of Ness (file pic) The Stornoway coastguard search and rescue helicopter searched to 3am, while another from Sumburgh in Shetland covered from 2am to 9am. Western Isles Council convener Kenneth Macleod said all three men were local residents of Lewis. Mr Macleod, who represents An Taobh Siar Agus Nis - which covers the Ness - said the men were believed to have been fishing between the Port of Ness and the Butt of Lewis. 'It is a terrible tragedy and difficult to put into words. My condolences are with the families and friends,' he said. 'I would also like to pay tribute to the coastguard teams, lifeboat crews and other members of the rescue services. The conditions out there are quite brutal - really challenging conditions. They have made extraordinary efforts.' Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live show on Wednesday, he added that it was a 'dark day' for the local community. He said: 'It is very, very sad news. It's a very dark day for the community of Ness and the community of Lewis in general, after news emerged about this tragedy that happened last night. 'The vessel going missing, and three fishermen missing, and our thoughts and condolences are with the family affected. 'As I said, it's a dark day; it's even darker for the families affected, and we can't even begin to comprehend what the families of the three fishermen are going through at the moment.' The men are thought to have been on a creel boat that typically fishes for shellfish, such as crabs and lobsters. The Met Office said a yellow warning had been issued for the region amid gusts reaching up to 70mph in parts of the Highlands and Western Isles. Strong winds, heavy rain and warm air are on the way as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias, which hit the southern US on Saturday, reaches the UK. As search efforts continue, Police Scotland warned people not to put themselves at risk in the 'very challenging' conditions by mounting searches themselves. Chief Inspector Ross McCartney, local area commander for the Western Isles, said: 'We are very aware of the impact that this incident will have on communities across the Outer Hebrides and beyond. 'I would like to reassure people that considerable efforts are ongoing between ourselves and partners to locate the vessel and the two remaining unaccounted for crew members. 'The families of all three men involved are being provided with specialist support as these searches continue. 'We know that the local community will be keen to help in any way they can. 'However, conditions are very challenging and I would urge people not to put themselves at any risk. Please do not attempt to carry out searches in areas which put you at risk of harm. 'A police presence will remain in the Port of Ness area and if you have any concerns or information then I would urge you to speak to one of our officers.' Tragedy last struck the Western Isles when MFV Louisa sank off the island of Mingulay, south of Barra, on April 9, 2016, making it the worst fishing disaster in the region for more than 50 years. Paul Alliston, 42, from Lochs on Lewis, Martin Johnstone, 29, from Halkirk Caithness, and father-of-two, Chris Morrison, 27, from South Harris, died. Lachlan Armstrong, then 27, from Stornoway, survived after swimming ashore to rocks. Mr Alliston's body was never recovered. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference 3575 of 13 October.