Deep Wreck Dive Claims Two, Third Recieving Treatment
27th July 2003Two divers are dead and a third is receiving treatment at the hyperbaric unit in the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. The incident occurred during a 63m wreck dive 15 miles off the coast of Shoreham on Tuesday 22 July.
Solent Coastguard received a call from dive charter boat Michelle Mary at 12.20pm to report that a diver had made a rapid ascent and been placed on oxygen. The first diver lost consciousness as a second diver surfaced having completed just some of his stops. Both men were airlifted to Queen Alexandra Hospital, where the unconscious casualty was pronounced dead on arrival, his buddy was rushed to the hyperbaric chamber.
The rescue helicopter was sent back to the scene after a third diver failed to surface. The Coastguard co-ordinated an extensive air and sea search in good weather, finally declaring that the diver was not on the surface. His body was recovered from the seabed near the wreck on Thursday.
The two deceased have been named as Clyde Warner, from Slough and Martin Reed, from Uxbridge, Middlesex. The third diver receiving treatment is from Sutton, Surrey. All three are described as experienced divers. Early reports suggest that an out-of-gas situation may have lead to the incident.