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A man has told Sky News of the desperate attempts to save his wife, their nine-year-old son and a family friend who died in Loch Lomond.

Edina Olahova, 29, and Rana Haris Ali lost their lives alongside their friend Muhammad Asim Riaz, 41, near Pulpit Rock on Saturday evening.

Waris Ali said his wife, son and family friends, including children, decided to stop off at the beach on the way back from Isle of Skye.

He said they sat on a pier and the youngsters went into the water, thinking it was shallow, but then they “went under”.

He said his wife saw the children were drowning and the adults went to save them.

(L-R) Edina Olahova, Waris Ali and Muhammad Asim Riaz
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(L-R) Edina Olahova, Waris Ali and Muhammad Asim Riaz with his wife

He has told Sky News of his desperate attempts to rescue his wife.

He said: “I managed to stay afloat and head towards the shallow water, but when I got out, I saw my wife’s hands outside and just her eyes out of the water.

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“I took my shirt off and threw it to her so she could grab it, but she couldn’t. I then went to go and get help.”

He said Mr Riaz’s wife called the emergency services.

Mr Ali said a Scottish man arrived and saved Mr Riaz’s son, but couldn’t save the other three.

He said: “I was trying to save my wife for some time, took my shirt off but realised I couldn’t do anything to save her. And the guy who came couldn’t save anyone else, just Asim’s son.”

Waris Ali and his wife Edina Olahova
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Waris Ali and his wife Edina Olahova

“I don’t have any words to put together how I’m feeling,” he said.

“The three were such lovely people, Asim was my best friend, he was my family. He was more than a friend he was my brother, the three of them would help anyone they could help.”

He added: “My wife and my kid were helpful, they would help me or anyone else, if they were in pain, they would do whatever to help. They would help without even thinking to protect other people. That’s why today she’s not here because her husband was drowning in the water.”

Mr Riaz’s seven-year-old son is currently in intensive care at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

The incident followed the deaths of three other young people in similar circumstances in Stonehouse, involving an 11-year-old boy; in Lanark, where a 13-year-old boy lost his life; and another on Loch Lomond on Friday, which claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy.

A senior officer from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said this weekend was one of the worst in memory for the service.

Alasdair Perry, a Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, told Good Morning Scotland: “This is the worst weekend in relation to incidents of this nature I can remember and I’d like to offer my condolences and those of everyone at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to all those affected by this weekend’s tragic events, and in particular to the friends and families of all those involved.”

Raza Haris Ali, nine
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Raza Haris Ali, nine

Simon Jones, the executive lead for water safety at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, added: “It’s been a terrible week in the park and across other parts of Scotland as well for tragic events.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to friends and family.

“We can’t remember a period like this – many of our staff were closely involved and it’s been very traumatic for people involved.

“[It’s been] really, really challenging and sobering – giving us a lot of cause for reflection.”

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf also said the Scottish Government was “concerned” by the recent tragedies.

He added: “First and foremost my condolences go out to all the families and the communities that have been affected by this.

“I think all of us have been rocked by these tragedies and I spoke to a couple of my ministerial colleagues over the weekend as this news unfolded, and certainly whatever we can do in government to support those in our national parks or other stakeholders to make our parks, our walks, our tourist hotspots as safe as possible, then the government is committed to do that.”

Mr Perry urged those swimming in open water to adhere to safety advice, not to leave young people unattended, and to ensure they do not swim after consuming alcohol.

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Mental health cases at A&E reach crisis level – as waits get longer and specialised beds dwindle

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Mental health cases at A&E reach crisis level - as waits get longer and specialised beds dwindle

“We’ve got two,” explains Emer Szczygiel, emergency department head of nursing at King George Hospital, as she walks inside a pastel coloured room. 

“If I had my time back again, we would probably have four, five, or six because these have helped us so much in the department with the really difficult patients.”

On one wall, there’s floral wallpaper. It is scored through with a graffiti scrawl. The words must have been scratched out with fingernails.

There are no other implements in here.

Patients being held in this secure room would have been searched to make sure they are not carrying anything they can use to harm themselves – or others.

A nurse in a special mental health A&E room
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Emer Szczygiel wishes the hospital had more of the ‘ligature light’ mental health rooms

Scratched words on floral wallpaper

There is a plastic bed secured to the wall. No bedding though, as this room is “ligature light”, meaning nothing in here could be used for self harm.

On the ceiling, there is CCTV that feeds into a control room on another part of the Ilford hospital’s sprawling grounds.

“So this is one of two rooms that when we were undergoing our works, we recognised, about three years ago, mental health was causing us more of an issue, so we’ve had two rooms purpose built,” Emer says.

“They’re as compliant as we can get them with a mental health room – they’re ligature light, as opposed to ligature free. They’re under 24-hour CCTV surveillance.”

CCTV security screens
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The rooms have a CCTV camera in the ceiling that feeds through to the main control room

There are two doors, both heavily reinforced. One can be used by staff to make an emergency escape if they are under any threat.

What is unusual about these rooms is that they are built right inside a busy accident and emergency department.

The doors are just feet away from a nurse’s station, where medical staff are trying to deal with acute ED (emergency department) attendances.

The number of mental health patients in a crisis attending A&E has reached crisis levels.

Some will be experiencing psychotic episodes and are potentially violent, presenting a threat to themselves, other patients, clinical staff and security teams deployed to de-escalate the situation.

A mental health nurse on a hospital ward
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The team were already dealing with five mental health cases when Sky News visited

Like physically-ill patients, they require the most urgent care but are now facing some of the longest waits on record.

On a fairly quiet Wednesday morning, the ED team is already managing five mental health patients.

One, a diminutive South Asian woman, is screaming hysterically.

She is clearly very agitated and becoming more distressed by the minute. Despite her size, she is surrounded by at least five security guards.

She has been here for 12 hours and wants to leave, but can’t as she’s being held under the Mental Capacity Act.

Her frustration boils over as she pushes against the chests of the security guards who encircle her.

“We see about 150 to 200 patients a day through this emergency department, but we’re getting on average about 15 to 20 mental health presentations to the department,” Emer explains.

“Some of these patients can be really difficult to manage and really complex.”

Emer Szczygiel, emergency department head of nursing at King George Hospital
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Emer Szczygiel says the department gets about 15 to 20 mental health presentations a day

“If a patient’s in crisis and wants to harm themselves, there’s lots of things in this area that you can harm yourself with,” the nurse adds.

“It’s trying to balance that risk and make sure every emergency department in the country is deemed a place of safety. But there is a lot of risk that comes with emergency departments, because they’re not purposeful for mental health patients.”

In a small side room, Ajay Kumar and his wife are waiting patiently by their son’s bedside.

He’s experienced psychotic episodes since starting university in 2018 and his father says he can become unpredictable and violent.

A man and woman sit by a hospital bed
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Ajay and his wife were watching over their son, who’s been having psychotic episodes

Ajay says his son “is under a section three order – that means six months in hospital”.

“They sectioned him,” he tells us.

“He should be secure now, he shouldn’t go out in public. Last night he ran away [from hospital] and walked all the way home. It took him four and a half hours to come home.

“I mean, he got three and a half hours away. Even though he’s totally mental, he still finds his way home and he was so tired and the police were looking for him.”

Ajay Kumar, whose son has been experiencing psychotic episodes since starting university in 2018, speaks to Sky News
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Mr Kumar said his son ran away from hospital and walked for hours to get home

Now they are all back in hospital and could be waiting “for days”, Ajay says.

“I don’t know how many. They’re not telling us anything.”

Matthew Trainer, chief executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, is at pains to stress nobody is blaming the patients.

“We’ve seen, particularly over the last few years, a real increase in the number of people in mental health crisis coming into A&E for support,” he says.

“And I don’t know if this is because of the pandemic or wider economic pressures, but what we’re seeing every day is more and more people coming here as their first port of call.”

Matthew Trainer, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
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‘More and more’ people in mental health crisis are showing up at A&E, says Mr Trainer

The hospital boss adds: “If you get someone who’s really distressed, someone who is perhaps experiencing psychosis etc, I’m seeing increasing numbers of complaints from other patients and their families about the environment they’ve had to wait in.

“And they’re not blaming the mental health patients for being here.

“But what they’re saying is being in a really busy accident & emergency with ambulances, with somebody highly distressed, and you’re sat there with an elderly relative or a sick child or whatever – it’s hard for everyone.

“There’s no blame in this. It’s something we’ve got to work together to try to fix.”

New Freedom of Information data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing shows that over the last five years, more than 1.3 million people in a mental health crisis presented to A&E departments.

New Freedom of Information data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing ONE

That’s expected to be a significant underestimate however, as only around a quarter of English trusts handed over data.

For these patients, waits of 12 hours or more for a mental health bed have increased by more than 380%.

Over the last decade, the number of overnight beds in mental health units declined by almost 3,700. That’s around 17%.

The Department for Health and Social Care told Sky News: “We know people with mental health issues are not always getting the support or care they deserve and incidents like this are unacceptable.

“We are transforming mental health services – including investing £26m to support people in mental health crisis, hiring more staff, delivering more talking therapies, and getting waiting lists down through our Plan for Change.”

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, also told Sky News: “While we know there is much more to do to deal with record demand including on waits, if a patient is deemed to need support in A&E, almost all emergency departments now have a psychiatric liaison team available 24/7 so people can get specialist mental health support alongside physical treatment.

“The NHS is working with local authorities to ensure that mental health patients are given support to leave hospital as soon as they are ready, so that space can be freed up across hospitals including A&Es.”

Patients in a mental health crisis and attending hospital are stuck between two failing systems.

A shortage of specialist beds means they are left untreated in a hospital not designed to help them.

And they are failed by a social care network overwhelmed by demand and unable to provide the early intervention care needed.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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Greg Monks: Body found in search for missing Scottish man in Portugal

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Greg Monks: Body found in search for missing Scottish man in Portugal

A body has been found in the search for a missing Scottish man who disappeared while on a stag do in Portugal.

Greg Monks, 38, was last seen in Albufeira during the early hours of Wednesday, 28 May, while enjoying the first night of a five-day stay.

A major search was launched for the Cambuslang man, with his parents and girlfriend flying out to Portugal to also provide assistance.

Greg Monks with his girlfriend
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Mr Monks and his partner. Pic: Family handout

His sisters, Jillian and Carlyn, previously spoke to Sky News about the family’s devastation at his disappearance.

Speaking to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee before the police’s announcement, they described their brother as a “big part of our family”.

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Mr Monks’ sisters spoke to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee

Local police confirmed on Wednesday that a body had been found in the Cerro de Aguia area, where Mr Monks was believed to have been last seen.

A statement by Portuguese police said the body was located on a vacant and uneven lot.

The force added: “After the competent judicial inspection has been carried out, the body will be removed to the area’s legal medicine office for an autopsy to be performed.”

Read more from Sky News:
Man jailed for murdering wife after remains found under stairs
Two men charged with murder after boy, 4, died in crash

Greg Monks on holiday with a burger and fries in front on him
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Pic: Family handout

Mr Monks was earlier described by his sisters as a “real family man”.

When his family arrived in Albufeira, police told them they had spotted Mr Monks twice on CCTV footage walking around the residential area.

The area where he was last seen – more than an hour’s walk from the Albufeira Strip – had a lot of rough terrain, including rocky outcrops and cliffs.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was supporting Mr Monks’ family and was “in contact with the local authorities”.

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Truck driver Richard Satchwell jailed for murdering wife Tina after her remains were found under stairs

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Truck driver Richard Satchwell jailed for murdering wife Tina after her remains were found under stairs

A truck driver found guilty of murdering his wife, whose remains were found under the stairs at their home in Ireland, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Richard Satchwell, originally from Leicester, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between 19 March and 20 March 2017.

Her skeletal remains were discovered at the Co Cork property in October 2023, six years after her husband reported her missing.

During his five-week trial, jurors heard from more than 50 witnesses, including police officers involved in the investigation.

Police had discovered Mrs Satchwell’s remains buried under the stairs in the living room of their home. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with black plastic.

She was wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown, with the belt of the gown wrapped around her.

A state pathologist said she could not establish the exact cause of death because of how decomposed the body was.

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During police interviews, Satchwell, 58, said that on the morning of 20 March 2017 he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping off the plasterboard, and claimed she came at him with the object and he fell back on to the floor.

He said Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the dressing gown against her neck.

Satchwell said that in a very short period of time she went limp and fell into his arms.

He said he put her body on the sofa in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs.

Relatives of Mrs Satchwell wept as the guilty verdict was returned on Friday 30 May.

Satchwell did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Following the sentencing, the family of Mrs Satchwell described her as a kind and gentle woman who loved animals.

Tina’s cousin, Sarah Howard, said that Mrs Satchwell was murdered “by someone who claimed to love her”.

“The emotional toll of her loss is something I will carry with me always,” she said.

Tina Satchwell..
Pic; Family Handout/PA
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Tina Satchwell. Pic: Family Handout/PA

Her half-sister Lorraine Howard said the way Mrs Satchwell was buried in plastic in her own home “sends shivers down my spine every time I think about it”.

“I will never be able to forgive Richard Satchwell for what he has done.”

Satchwell’s barrister Brendan Grehan SC told the court that Satchwell intends to appeal, and that he “never intended to kill Tina”.

Mr Grehan also said that Satchwell said “despite anything he said in the trial, Tina was a lovely person”.

Read more from Sky News:
British man goes missing on stag do
Two men charged with murder after boy dies in crash

The court was told the couple married in the UK on Tina’s 20th birthday, and later settled in Co Cork, first in Fermoy before moving to Youghal in 2016.

The trial heard that on 24 March 2017, Satchwell went to Irish police and claimed his wife had left their Youghal home four days ago because their relationship had deteriorated.

Satchwell had also claimed Mrs Satchwell had taken €26,000 euros in cash from savings they kept in the attic, which the court later heard they did not have the capacity to save.

He formally reported his wife missing in May 2017 and claimed to investigators that his wife was sometimes violent towards him.

In the following years, he made over a dozen media appearances in which he spoke extensively about the morning he claimed Mrs Satchwell left the house and never returned.

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