DIVER TRAGEDY AT EASTBOURNE

Dover Coastguard were contacted at 3:15 p.m. on 13 April 2001 by a dive boat for medical assistance when one diver surfaced and looked to be in difficulties despite carrying out correct decompression stops on the way to the surface after his dive 5 miles south of Eastbourne.

Dover Coastguard scrambled the RAF rescue helicopter from Wattisham and the Coastguard rescue helicopter 'India Juliet' from Lee on Solent to the scene along with tasking the Eastbourne RNLI lifeboat and the Eastbourne Coastguard Rescue Team. With time in short supply the dive boat, with 14 people on board, met the lifeboat on route; two of the lifeboat crew boarded the dive boat with oxygen and began resuscitation. It is thought the diver had suffered a heart attack.

The man was meet by the East Sussex Ambulance service but was confirmed dead at the scene. The East Sussex Police were also in attendance.

Dover Coastguard Watch Manager, Gordon Wise said: