| [ Reuters New Media]
Wednesday February 19 10:40 AM GMT
Possible lair of Loch Ness monster found
INVERNESS, Scotland, Feb 18 (Reuter) - A Scottish auxiliary coastguard
officer said on Tuesday that he believes he has found the secret lair of
the legendary Loch Ness monster.
George Edwards, 45, spotted the 30-foot (nine-metre) wide cave in the
bottom of the Scottish loch on a sonar scan as he cruised over the water.
"I came across the hole by accident one day as I was crossing Urquart Bay
while on a coastguard exercise," he told a Scottish news agency. "My sonar
reading suddenly fell an extra 30 feet, down to 826 feet (252 metres). That
is much deeper than this part of the loch is supposed to be."
Edwards believes the mysterious cave could be a major breakthrough in the
search for the monster, nicknamed Nessie, which many people believe lives
in the 23-mile (37-km) long loch.
"For the first time we have a clue to where Nessie might actually live so
we can narrow down the search area and give ourselves a real chance of
spotting her and her family," Edwards added.
He believes that the cave could be the entrance to a tunnel that connects
Loch Ness to another loch or to the sea and is planning on releasing a
non-toxic dye into the mouth of the opening to test his theory.
"This could be one of the most significant finds ever in Loch Ness," said
Gary Campbell, secretary of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club.
"It looks like the best possible site for Nessie's lair. We need to send
down a diver or a camera to see exactly how far it goes in and whether
there is any evidence of something living inside," he added.
Sightings of the mysterious monster, which has often been described as
having a long neck and a large body like a brontosaurus, have been reported
since the 15th century.
Around two million tourists flock to the murky loch each year hoping to get
a glimpse of the legendary beast.
|