Brixham Coastguard received a call at 1:30 p.m. on 27 May 2001 by an emergency radio call from the dive rigid inflatable boat (rib) `Ubex' reporting that they had picked up a 31 year old male diver, a naval doctor, who had earlier been diving in 26 metres of water.

The man from Derriford had been making his ascent to the surface and had stopped at 10 metres but had become tangled in his surface marker buoy lines, and had had to make a rapid ascent to the surface and was in danger of suffering from the `bends' or recompression sickness.

He had originally been diving from the rib `Beast', off Bolt Head near Salcombe. The man was transferred to the `Beast' and brought into Salcombe where the Hope Cove Coastguard Rescue Team met him. An ambulance also met the vessel and he was then taken to a local car park where the Coastguard had arranged for a rescue helicopter - R193 - from the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose to take him to the recompression chamber at Plymouth.

Because of the fog it became impossible for the helicopter to land either at the dive chamber landing site or Plymouth airport and the Plymouth Coastguard Rescue Team were turned out to secure a landing site on the Hoe. The Police were also present and a further ambulance then transferred him to the Diving diseases research centre at Derriford.

Alf Tupper, Coastguard Watch Manager at Brixham Coastguard said, "The doctor's delivery to the chamber was somewhat tortuous because of the weather but we were delighted that he arrived safe and sound at Derriford just over an hour after we had had the initial call. It is imperative that any diving ascent is conducted with all the correct stops and clearly because of the dangers of the `bends' this chap required immediate attention after becoming entangled.

"The excellent cooperation between HM Coastguard; Police and Ambulance Service and the Salcombe Harbour Authorities ensured a speedy expedition of what might have been a lengthy process, due to the constraints of the landing areas.

"The weather today has been south westerly winds, force 5 - 5 with mist and fog patches and low cloud which has generally swayed people from taking to the water this Bank Holiday weekend. The forecast is much the same for the next 24 hours."