Two children have died after a canoe capsized in Loch Gairloch, Scotland, while a man is still missing.

The two boys were rescued immediately after the tragedy and taken to hospital but they died there.

Out of the six people who were on the boat, a man, 35, and a girl, 10, managed to survive by swimming ashore.

As soon as the coast guard was alerted, a helicopter and lifeboats plunged into action retrieving two boys aged five and three, and a five-year-old girl. The girl remains in serious condition in hospital while search continues for a missing 34-year-old man.

The boys were admitted to the Raigmore hospital in Inverness while the five-year-old girl was airlifted to Broadford Hospital in Skye.

"Police can confirm that the two boys aged three and five years who were recovered from the water off Gairloch and conveyed to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, have since died.

Search efforts for the missing 34-year-old man have been suspended for the night and are due to recommence at first light," said a Northern Constabulary spokesperson.

A helicopter belonging to the coast guard and lifeboats from Portee, Gairloch and Loch Ewe are involved in the rescue operation. Local boats also assisted the operation which took place in the water near the Big Sands caravan park.

The place is generally not considered to be dangerous and has been frequently visited for swimming and water sports.

"We heard it was a group who took canoes out and got into difficulties. We heard that some of the children were in a pretty bad way. It's terrible - it's such a beautiful evening. The sun is shining and the water is very calm, so to know there is still someone out there missing is tragic," a local man told the Scotsman.

The cause of the tragedy is being probed. Officials said the six people were in a narrow Canadian canoe which is designed to carry numerous passengers.

Scotland