Lewis fishing boat disaster leaves island community grieving and fundraising
The fishing boat Kilda disappeared off the Isle of Lewis during a search for crab creels ahead of a storm, prompting a major sea search. Skipper Douglas Craigie, 49, was found dead; crew members Norman “Tam” Murray, 40, and Murdo Morrison, 23, remain missing. The loss has deeply shaken the island community and left families and friends grieving and waiting for news.
The article describes the men’s ties to their communities and the support efforts that followed, including fundraising for their families. Donations, coffee mornings and an online auction were organised, with the article reporting that about £110,000 had been raised by the time it was written. The boat had been borrowed from a friend, who also lost his craft and livelihood.
- Three men went missing when the Kilda disappeared off Lewis.
- The skipper’s body was recovered; two crew members remain missing.
- Islanders have raised about £110,000 to support the families.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “JOHN MacLEOD: The sea may be a lifeline, larder and livelihood… but in recent days we have come to hate and fear it”.