Residents of a Highland village have described the “massive” police presence during the search for a missing pensioner.
John Winton McNab, who went by Winton, was found dead in his car two days after he was reported missing from his home in Perth.
The 86-year-old’s car left the A887 at Invermoriston, near Fort Augustus, but although a 999 alert was lodged through his vehicle’s crash detection system, police could not find him.
The well-respected retired consultant radiologist was found two days later, on September 18.
On Monday, locals revealed officers were out in force looking for Mr McNab.
Police went door-to-door
In the days between keen hillwalker Mr McNab being reported missing and his body being found, people in Invermoriston noticed a large police presence in the area.
Officers were keen going door-to-door with his photo, asking if anyone had seen him.
One woman who works in the village said she understood that although Mr McNab’s Mercedes B200 sent an alert to police, the GPS location was not precise – with officers searching a vast area.
It is understood they were not only looking for the grey car in Invermoriston, but also 13 miles away in Drumnadrochit and another location, based on the GPS alert.
A Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman said: “We were extremely saddened to hear about the case of Winton McNab.
“We are working with the relevant authorities to gain a better understanding of this particular incident.”
Steep verges
Officers are understood to have been “everywhere” in the village until Sunday at around 1.20pm when they “disappeared” and the road was closed.
It is not yet known how Mr McNab was discovered, although it is understood the vehicle was found just outside Invermoriston.
The A887 is full of twists and turns, with most sections surrounded by tall trees on both sides.
When driving southbound away from Invermoriston, a steep grass verge lines the left of the road, falling to the River Moriston at the bottom.
The sharp steepness of the verge off the road makes it difficult to see what lies beyond it other than trees.
There are barriers and walled sections along the A887, but there are also stretches with only small bollards separating the road from the verge.
‘A great character’
Following the news of the tragedy, Mr McNab was described as a “great character” who was dedicated to his patients.
Married to Patricia, the couple lived in Perth.
Originally from Banff, Mr McNab graduated in medicine from Aberdeen University in 1967 and went on to work at the Gilbert Bain in Lerwick.
He achieved a diploma in medical radio diagnosis in 1975 after his focus moved to radiology and neuroradiology. From there he took up a job as a consultant radiologist in Dundee, working at both the royal infirmary and Ninewells.
He was also elected as a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.
One former colleague said: “He was quite a character and had a strong personality, a really lovely man.”
Others described him as a “true gentleman” who was always kind.
He was reported missing from his home on September 16.
In a statement after his body was found, his loved ones said: “We would like to thank everyone involved in the search to trace Winton, these efforts are greatly appreciated by the family.”
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