Canoe tragedy dad relives the agony of the day a family outing turned to tragedy

“I left the kids in the water, but I though they’d be safe.”

A young dad who survived a family canoe tragedy hopes to prevent further deaths by opening his heart.

Garry Mackay, who lost his five-year-old daughter, best friend and his two sons in a Highland loch six months ago, said people should learn the lessons from his agonising loss before taking to the water.

The former squaddie said: “When I look back, taking to water without proper knowledge and sufficient kit is like driving a car at 100mph with the kids not

wearing their seat belts. “I’m no safety expert, but I really want people to consider the ‘what ifs’. We weren’t thinking about these until it was too late.”

IT’S Wednesday morning when I speak to Garry in his home in Muir of Ord, Inverness-shire. It’s the day of the week the agony of his loss reaches its peak.

The former private in the Highlanders’ regiment, who served in Northern Ireland, now works as a delivery van driver. Today is his day off.

“I really struggle on a Wednesday,” Garry says.

“My daughter, Callie, is at school, my partner, Wendy, is at work and I’m in by myself.”

In these quieter moments, Garry’s mind drifts back to the events of August 26, 2012, which changed his life forever. “The water was flat calm. The sun was shining. We were just thinking about having a good time.”

Garry, 36, had launched the Canadian canoe belonging to best pal Ewen Beaton, 32, from the beach at the Big Sands caravan park in Gairloch, Wester Ross.

The two friends had visited the beauty spot for a day’s fishing.

Garry’s children Grace, five, and eight-year-old Callie, along with Ewen’s boys, five-year-old Ewen and Jamie, two, were also there.

When they stopped about half a kilometre from the shore, Ewen quickly hooked four mackerel.

But in a split second, the happy adventure turned into a nightmare. As Garry stood up to put the fish in a box, the boat tilted and capsized, throwing everyone into the freezing water.

“At first I thought, it would be OK because we’d keep holding on to the boat and someone would rescue us,” recalls Garry.

He says the upturned canoe began to roll back over. “The children wanted to get back in, but it was three quarters full of water.

“With our weight on the sides it began to sink.”

The boat sank to about four feet under the surface, making it increasingly difficult to hold on to.

Garry believes Ewen Snr either lost his grip or he tried to swim with the boys.

He says: “If he did, he didn’t get more than four feet before he went under.”

Ewen resurfaced but couldn’t stay above the water. When he came up a second time, Garry shouted to the boys to let go of their dad, who didn’t come back up again.

His body has still not been found.

Although the children were wearing buoyancy aid jackets, neither adult was. Despite the unfolding horror, Garry believes his Army training allowed him to assess the situation.

Previously it was stated that Garry was left facing “the hardest decision of his life”. But he insists he didn’t have the luxury of choice and was forced to swim to shore to ensure all of the stricken children had a chance of survival. “We were all petrified and I tried to calm the children down,” he adds.

“I knew I couldn’t swim with the kids hanging on to me. I also knew if I stayed I would drown, too, and the kids would never be found.

“We screamed and screamed but no one heard. “The only option was to swim to shore and raise the alarm.”

Garry believed the life jackets the children were wearing would help them survive as he swam for aid.

But he didn’t realise they only had buoyancy aid jackets which don’t keep your head out of water if you lose consciousness.

Garry made it to the shore and ran a mile in bare feet to raise the alarm, sparking a major rescue operation but it was too late.

Ewen’s sons were airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, but lost their fight for life.

Grace, who had been found face down, was taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow. The following day, doctors told Garry and Wendy there was nothing more they could do.

Only Callie, who followed her Dad and swam more than 500 metres to safety, survived. Garry says even counselling can’t help him come to terms with his grief.

“It’s still so raw. Gracie was my wee lassie. She’s was Daddy’s wee girl and I miss her beyond comprehension.”

But he explains he will take some comfort if talking about the trauma helps avert another tragedy by making people stop and think.

“I want to get across how easily we fell into that situation and how easily it happened to warn others.

“We didn’t think for one second that we were in danger at any point before we capsized.”

Garry is aware of the growing popularity of outdoor pursuits and insists people need to be aware of the dangers of water.

He says: “Because of limited budgets, people are buying cheap canoes and equipment thinking they will be safe.

“But many, like the one we were in, are not stable.

“I also worry they are buying buoyancy aids instead of life jackets. There needs to be more awareness on the difference.”

Rospa the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, have backed Garry’s calls for better awareness and education.

Garry has been in talks with various bodies, including the Scottish Canoe Association, about water safety campaigns. He believes safety training should be required before people are allowed to buy canoes and other craft.

There’s no such system in place at the moment. His plea for caution is the first step in journey he hopes will change attitudes. But, six months on, his main focus is on his family.

“Callie has been unbelievable. She’s been so strong and she gives Wendy and I something to focus on.

“The Beaton family have also lost so much. We’re always thinking of them.

“There are huge holes in our lives and it’s affected many people.”

Garry was out in a boat again last weekend, fishing with a friend in a local loch. It was the first time since the accident, and he admits he was terrified. Losing so much has also changed Garry’s perspective on life.

“We had the perfect life before this happened,” he explains.

“Of course, there’s were everyday problems, and you’d think ‘life’s terrible’ as you often do when you are caught up in things. “But it wasn’t terrible. We were happy. What we thought were problems mean nothing now.”

It’s taken immense bravery to talk of the trauma he has gone though. But his motivation is clear. “I just don’t want anyone to go through what we went through that day,” he says.

“I want people to think of the what ifs.”