A DESPERATE search is underway in Aberdeenshire for a man trapped in his vehicle amid severe flooding.
The coastguard and police are searching an area near Marykirk, which is near the North Esk river, after the alarm was raised in the early hours of Friday.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Around 3am on Friday October 20, 2023, police received a report of a man within a vehicle trapped in floodwater near Marykirk.
“Multi-agency searches are ongoing and the public are asked to avoid the area for their safety.”
Angus Council has said it is in the middle of a "very serious emergency" with "completely unprecedented" levels of water submerging the town.
READ MORE: Storm Babet: Families trapped in homes as Brechin devastated by floods
Rescue crews are now dealing with more than 100 calls from areas which were asked to evacuate on Thursday evening.
Many people are reportedly trapped in their homes with boats struggling to reach them due to the severity of flooding.
Those that have reached the rest centre at Brechin Community Campus are largely turning up in wet clothes. The council has issued an urgent plea for warm clothing if anyone who lives nearby is able to reach the site safely.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said on Friday morning: “I cannot stress how dangerous conditions are in Brechin in particular.”
READ MORE: LIVE: Storm Babet latest as parts of Angus completely flooded
Brechin councillor Jill Scott added: “It’s horrific. It’s just absolutely horrendous. I’ve never seen anything like it.
"People will have lost everything."
On Thursday afternoon, a 57-year-old woman died after being swept into a river in Angus amid the evacuation of 400 homes in the Scottish region.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here