Church minister backs bid to recover missing Loch Fyne fishermen

Przemek Krawczyk and Duncan MacDougall were on board the Nancy Glen when it sank last month

A Church of Scotland minister has appealed for help to recover the bodies of two men believed to be trapped in a fishing boat that sank in Loch Fyne.

Rev John MacGregor also paid tribute to his friend Duncan MacDougall, the skipper of the Nancy Glen.

Mr MacDougall, a father-of-two, was aboard the prawn trawler with Przemek Krawczyk when it sank on 18 January.

A third crewman, John Miller, survived after being rescued by a passing vessel.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) have been surveying the site to decide if the wreck can be raised.

It is thought to be sitting at a depth of 459ft near Barmore Island.

Mr MacGregor, who grew up in Tarbert, said the tragedy had devastated the village and appealed to Kirk members across Scotland and further afield to donate what they could to a special fund to "bring the boys home".

A campaign to raise the boat has already collected more than £207,000 in two weeks.

Rev John MacGregor is a lifelong friend of Duncan MacDougall, skipper of the Nancy Glen

Mr MacGregor, who leads Cadder Parish Church in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, said: "When I heard the news, it was hard to believe that trapped on board was a man whom I have known most of my life.

"Duncan McDougall will be remembered as a great guy and an excellent football player.

"He was a leader who touched so many lives."

Mr MacGregor praised the spirit of locals in Tarbert, who have worked tirelessly to raise money for the families of the two men, but called for more to be done at a national level to help them.

He said: "It is a tragic situation that has touched the hearts and lives of so many people.

"We all want to see these boys brought home to their loved ones and to their village."

Around 500 people attended a special service on the quayside in Tarbert on Saturday where a candle was lit for the missing men.