THE BROTHER of an Ardrossan man who tragically drowned in the harbour has spoken of his anguish at the death.

Michael Moffat, 47, was pulled from the water by the Coastguard at around 1.30pm on Friday, January 9 after being spotted by a dog walker.

A post mortem confirmed that Michael, who lived on his boat – The Tamarisk – and was employed as a part-time harbour master by Clyde Marina, had drowned.

His brother Derek told the Herald: “It wasn’t in Michael’s character to do anything stupid in the sea because he couldn’t swim.

“We’ve been told that his death was extremely quick.

“Knowing the water myself he has probably hit the water and the shock would have killed him.” “It was definitely accidental, there’s absolutely no evidence to suggest any foul play.” Michael left two daughters, two sons, three brothers and a sister behind.

Derek revealed: “The kids are absolutely distraught and our brother James, who is the youngest and was very close to Michael, is inconsolable.” It is believed that Michael, who was brought up in Dalmellington before moving to Ayr then Ardrossan, had spotted one of the boats in the marina that had come loose.

He fell into the water as driving wind and heavy rain battered the whole west coast of Scotland.

Derek said: “He must have been to the toilet in the main building and when he’s came back, he saw the boat.

“Unfortunately, the sea took him but the one thing we can say is that he died doing what he loved.

“That’s a great comfort to me.

“The injuries to his face were really bad, it looked like he had been beaten.

“He didn’t have a mark on his body though.” Derek claimed that the family were initially ‘kept out the loop’ by police – something he described as ‘agonising’.

He added: “We refused to believe that he’d fallen in by himself at first but after the post mortem it’s been explained to us and we’re now just trying to come to terms with it.

“We’re all absolutely gutted. It’s going to be hard to move on.” Derek revealed how Michael saved a man from drowning in Ardrossan Harbour just a few months ago.

He said: “There was an incident in November last year when a man fell into the harbour.

“Michael managed to pull him from the water and calmed him down. That summed him up really.

He was as big hearted as they come and he looked out for everyone.” Derek said his brother had also saved his life on a boat trip.

He added: “On our first trip out on the Tamarisk I hit my head and had to be rescued but Michael looked after me.” He described his brother as a family man who loved his kids and his boat. And he revealed that Michael’s children – Stuart, Kayleigh, Kelsey and Michael Jnr – would stay with their dad on his boat.

Derek said: “There are two things on this planet that he loved most – his kids and his boat.

“The kids were really close to their dad and they have the same attitude to life as he did.

“The boat will be passed on to the kids now.

“It will be for the kids’ future and hopefully they get as much fun as we did out of it.” The brothers, who all work in the security industry, thought that the boat’s name, Tamarisk, was a word which had some Viking connotations or meant something tough in Gaelic.

Derek laughed as he fondly recalled the family finding out its real meaning – it’s a shrub or small tree.

He also spoke of his brother’s work, adding: “That marina was his life. He worked there doing a bit of boat work and unofficial security work, he was like the neighbourhood watchman.

“He lived on his boat and he always looked after the marina, he was happy. The staff were really good to him during his four years living and working there. They were a big part of his life.” And he added: “I’m going to miss him like hell but his memory will be eternal.” A plaque to commemorate Michael’s life will be unveiled at the harbour’s watchtower later this year.