The five-year-old girl named Gracie Mackay who was rescued and rushed to Bradford hospital last night after canoe capsized in Loch Gairloch has died in the hospital.

Gracie Mackay was among the six people from two families including two men and four children, when the canoe capsized. A critically ill Gracie was initially rushed to Broadford Hospital in Skye. But as her condition worsened, she was shifted overnight by rescue helicopter to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, Glasgow, where she was declared dead today.

When the boat capsized, Gracie’s 35-year-old father and eight-year-old sister Calie Mackay managed to swim to the shore and raise the alarm.

Stornoway Coastguard was alerted to the incident at around 4.15pm yesterday after the man and his daughter made it to the shoreline. Referring to the eight-year-old’s feat, Peter Godding, sector manager for Stornoway Coastguard, said, “It’s amazing really, she swam quite a long way in the sea, which is no mean feat. It’s pretty incredible that she did survive, with the adult as well. She would have given the police certain information which they didn’t have.”

“The girl that survived is very courageous and very resourceful to be able to complete a 500-metre swim to shore. I mean, that’s no mean feat for an adult but she’s achieved that and managed in combination with the other adult to raise the alarm”, he added.

The two young boys, Beaton, five, and his two-year-old brother Jamie, died last night in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Search for their father Ewen Fraser Beaton, 32, has been halted and he is presumed to be dead.

The police have done an extensive search covering 60 square miles, covering the same area around three to four times. Regarding the type of canoe in which the group was travelling, the police said the vessel was of cheap quality and maintaining balance in them if one stood up was very difficult.

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Gairloch canoe capsize: Two young boys die, man remains missing