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Teams scale down search for man reported missing in Forth at Kincardine Bridge

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The search for a swimmer missing in the River Forth since Friday night has been scaled down.

The 44-year-old undressed before trying to swim across the river at Kincardine Bridge. His girlfriend raised the alarm after he failed to resurface shortly before 8pm.

No details of the missing man, who is believed to be from Alloa, have been released.

Forth coastguard said people had told rescuers they had seen him drifting unconscious in the water.

An intensive search involving the coastguard, officers from Fife and Central Scotland police forces, an RNLI lifeboat and a Royal Navy helicopter was launched but was called off at nightfall.

It resumed at 7am on Saturday, when local group Skywatch, which assists the emergency services with spotting from aircraft, was also brought in.

Again, no trace of the man was found and the search was halted as it became dark.

The operation was wound down by lunchtime on Sunday, and was called off for the night when darkness fell. It will resume today.

Of the decision to wind down the operation, a spokesman for Forth coastguard said, “You have to take into account survivability if someone is not dressed for cold water.”

The section of the Forth in question is tidal and includes extensive mud flats, particularly at the Grangemouth side. The mixture of salt water from the sea and fresh water from the river also complicates matters as there could be two currents running in different directions, making it impossible to tell which direction the man may have drifted.

One woman told The Courier that the river swirls as you reach the middle, making it a deceptively difficult area to swim in.

“Someone said he just took all his clothes off and walked off the pier,” she said. “His girlfriend was standing shouting, but there was no sign of him then we heard a helicopter and the police were here. It’s awful.”