UK - Anthony Parsons, 63, charity cyclist, found deceased, Argyll, Scotland, 29 Sept 2017 *Arrests*

[Elainera]

There in front of him was a ford. It was cross it or turn back. This crossing has railway sleepers on the base of it

What are railway sleepers?

 

[pjm06]

Yep, I know that area. So it's a possibility that Tony is trapped under the River Orchy, or a deeper part of the Kinglas Water.

Him being underwater seems one of the most likely cases. Issues being:

• While I don't have SAR training it seems reasonable to prioritise watercourses
• It seems like there's a strong chance the bag, clothes, or bike would be been found if that were the case
• A year and a half of being trapped is a long time

Is this the ford in question? Does it really get high enough to sweep away a person any real distance?

 

[william tell]

What are railway sleepers?

they are at the base of a railway line between the metal rail lines

 

[william tell]

Him being underwater seems one of the most likely cases. Issues being:

• While I don't have SAR training it seems reasonable to prioritise watercourses
• It seems like there's a strong chance the bag, clothes, or bike would be been found if that were the case
• A year and a half of being trapped is a long time

Is this the ford in question? Does it really get high enough to sweep away a person any real distance?

View attachment 178178

yes it does and this is fact...it would be easy to be snagged for a long time.

 

[pjm06]

What are railway sleepers?

The wooden/concrete planks that go under the rails

 

[Taskforce88]

yes it does and this is fact...it would be easy to be snagged for a long time.

I have been along the River Orchy a number of times recently, always wondering if Tony was somewhere in the deep water. Deep pools on the Kinglas should have been searched

 

[pjm06]

yes it does and this is fact...it would be easy to be snagged for a long time.

Is there anything to suggest it would have been at the time he went missing? Not trying to be dismissive, just critical.

Using the river Orchy as a proxy suggests it wasn't particularly high, though there is a spike shortly after: Orchy at Glen Orchy: River level and flood alerts

Looking at the forecast records doesn't show particularly severe rain, thought we know it was raining when he disappeared : Weather in September 2018 in Bridge of Orchy, Scotland, United Kingdom

 

[william tell]

Is there anything to suggest it would have been at the time he went missing? Not trying to be dismissive, just critical.

Using the river Orchy as a proxy suggests it wasn't particularly high, though there is a spike shortly after: Orchy at Glen Orchy: River level and flood alerts

Looking at the forecast records doesn't show particularly severe rain, thought we know it was raining when he disappeared : Weather in September 2018 in Bridge of Orchy, Scotland, United Kingdom

at the particular point that i think he fell in and at that time of night and being exhausted . Drowning there would be easy.

 

[pjm06]

at the particular point that i think he fell in and at that time of night and being exhausted . Drowning there would be easy.

Worth going for a poke around then? I'm no longer local to the area (as much as I would like to be!).

 

[Taskforce88]

Worth going for a poke around then? I'm no longer local to the area (as much as I would like to be!).

I would say it would be worthwhile for the police to conduct a thorough search of the Kinglas Water. It seems this was never done.

 

[william tell]

yes it does and this is fact...it would be easy to be snagged for a long time.

i looked at the attachment and this is the definitely the spot where he fell.

 

[touch]

i looked at the attachment and this is the definitely the spot where he fell.

I don't think so. I've cycled up that path a few times all the way to the road at Pubil. You need to ford the Kinglass about 6 times and I've never had to get off my bike for any of them - you can cycle straight through and they are rarely more than ankle deep at normal water levels. There would have had to be a huge increase in water levels at the time for enough force to wash a person downstream.

 

[william tell]

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I don't think so. I've cycled up that path a few times all the way to the road at Pubil. You need to ford the Kinglass about 6 times and I've never had to get off my bike for any of them - you can cycle straight through and they are rarely more than ankle deep at normal water levels. There would have had to be a huge increase in water levels at the time for enough force to wash a person downstream.

On that particular day i went i would have not dared to cross at that point..the water levels would constantly change i imagine. but the workers did insist the sheep often flow downstream and the workers told me that their landrover at this exact spot was swept away. being armed with this knowledge leads me to believe that it is possible.

 

[touch]

Yes, it's a possibility.
Using the link @pjm06 posted earlier, we can see that the level of the River Orchy was low at the time:

(although that doesnt necessarily mean that the Kinglass was also low at the time, it's likely to be similar)

We know now that he has walked the WHW before and would have known that there were no river crossings so if the Kinglass was particularly high he would have been immediately aware he was not on the WHW.
I can't think of any reason why he would intentionally head up towards Loch Lyon. If he knew the route, he'd know it adds about 10 miles extra onto his journey going that way. If he didn't know the route, surely he'd prefer to stick to the WHW which he was at least vaguely familiar with?

 

[william tell]

Yes, it's a possibility.
Using the link @pjm06 posted earlier, we can see that the level of the River Orchy was low at the time:

(although that doesnt necessarily mean that the Kinglass was also low at the time, it's likely to be similar)

We know now that he has walked the WHW before and would have known that there were no river crossings so if the Kinglass was particularly high he would have been immediately aware he was not on the WHW.
I can't think of any reason why he would intentionally head up towards Loch Lyon. If he knew the route, he'd know it adds about 10 miles extra onto his journey going that way. If he didn't know the route, surely he'd prefer to stick to the WHW which he was at least vaguely familiar with?

i think Tony was tired and just made a mistake. that's the only conclusion i can draw from all this. if he didn't make a mistake then he would still be alive.

 

[touch]

Just noticed some discrepancies between various maps:
2 rivers converge at Auch, Allt Coire Chalein and Allt Kinglass. After this convergence, Bing Maps names the river Allt Coire Chalein and Google Maps names it Allt Kinglass.
When I said the Kinglass was shallow and easily fordable, I was specifically referring to part upstream of the convergence at Auch.

 

[touch]

i think Tony was tired and just made a mistake. that's the only conclusion i can draw from all this. if he didn't make a mistake then he would still be alive.

Yes, but there's plenty of opportunity elsewhere to make a mistake so I wouldn't be so certain that this is the exact mistake which was made.

 

[william tell]

Just noticed some discrepancies between various maps:
2 rivers converge at Auch, Allt Coire Chalein and Allt Kinglass. After this convergence, Bing Maps names the river Allt Coire Chalein and Google Maps names it Allt Kinglass.
When I said the Kinglass was shallow and easily fordable, I was specifically referring to part upstream of the convergence at Auch.

i think were talking about the same spot that's where the mini hydro electric station sits nearby.

 

[william tell]

Yes, but there's plenty of opportunity elsewhere to make a mistake so I wouldn't be so certain that this is the exact mistake which was made.

yes but the river isn't as deep further on.

 

[touch]

yes but the river isn't as deep further on.

I don't just mean other opportunities along that path. There's massive areas down Glen Orcy, Glen Lochy, Loch Tulla, etc which are equally as plausible.