Drowning Victims Named

A man and a boy who drowned in a reservoir have been identified by police.

The bodies of Sean Marshall, 20, and Ross Munn, 17, were pulled from Mill Glen Reservoir near Ardrossan in North Ayrshire by specialist police divers shortly before midnight . 

A search and rescue operation was launched at around 8pm last night after the pair were seen getting into the water but failed to resurface. 

A police underwater unit and helicopter were supported by around 10 firefighters and Coastguard staff. 

Two fire and rescue crews from Ardrossan and Ayr went to the scene, along with a Zodiac water rescue boat from Ayr. 

Police said the families of Ross, from Ardrossan and Mr Marshall, from Saltcoats, have been told of their deaths. 

There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal. 

Mill Glen is a small reservoir with an earth embankment dam located about a mile north-east of Ardrossan. 

Superintendent Neil Kerr warned people of the dangers of playing or swimming in open water during warm weather. ``It may look calm on the surface, but there may be strong undercurrents,'' he said. 

``The water can also be very cold and deep, and there are often sudden drops and underwater obstacles and undergrowth that you cannot see, causing even the strongest of swimmers to get into difficulty very easily.'' 

Carlene McAvoy, Scotland's community safety development officer for RoSPA, said: ``When the weather hots up, we understand the temptation to go swimming in open water, like a reservoir, but there are many issues that people may not be aware of. 

``Things to remember are that the water might be a lot colder and deeper than you expect, and there may be strong currents and underwater debris, which may lead to even the most experienced swimmer getting into difficulties. 

``Consider how you are going to get out of the water before you get in, and be honest about your swimming ability. 

``RoSPA's advice is to go swimming at properly-supervised sites, such as beaches, lidos or swimming pools, although we appreciate that not everyone can get to these locations.''