Authorities are continuing urgent inquiries into the disappearance of 82-year-old Jim Wither from Johnstone, Renfrewshire. Police established that he may have entered the water while traveling on a ferry to the Isle of Arran. The incident triggered a massive overnight search along Arran’s eastern coast, though emergency responders have yet to locate him.
According to reports published by STV News and the Daily Record on October 20, 2026, Wither was officially reported missing on Sunday, October 18. Police Scotland launched an investigation after determining that the elderly man may have gone overboard after boarding a scheduled ferry bound for the island from Ardrossan. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under active investigation.
The alarm was raised at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday following urgent reports that a passenger had gone overboard from a CalMac vessel positioned east of Arran, STV News confirmed. In response, a multi-agency search and rescue operation involving maritime units and local coastguard teams was immediately deployed to scour the freezing coastal waters and shoreline.
Rescue teams maintained a continuous search operation throughout the night, facing challenging dark and weather conditions along the eastern coast of the island. After an extensive sweep of the area, the Coastguard response was stood down at approximately 4:55 a.m. on Monday, pending any new information or developments in the case.
Ongoing Police Appeal and Investigation
Police Scotland is urging anyone who was traveling on the Ardrossan-to-Arran ferry on Sunday evening and may have witnessed anything unusual to come forward. Anyone with information regarding Jim Wither’s movements should contact authorities immediately. Inquiries are ongoing as maritime and local authorities evaluate all available evidence from the crossing.
As search efforts transition into an investigative phase, authorities continue to support the missing man’s family during this difficult time. Further updates will be provided by Police Scotland as the investigation into the ferry crossing progresses.
