DIVER MISSING OFF ISLE OF WIGHT

Solent Coastguard received a report at 12:20 p.m. on 20 July 2001 from the skipper of the Poole based dive boat 'James Alex' who reported that one of the party of 6 divers was overdue from a 30 metre dive about 5 miles south of Saint Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight.

The missing 50 year old man, described as an experienced diver, somehow became parted from his buddy whilst 15 metres from the surface during a routine ascent stop; when his buddy reached the surface he immediately alerted the skipper to raise the alarm.

Coastguard scrambled the Coastguard rescue helicopter ' India Juliet' which arrived on scene and began searching at 12:35 p.m.; the RNLI all weather lifeboats from Benbridge and Yarmouth were requested to launch. The man has not been found and all units continue to search.