DIVERS RECOVERED OFF LUNDY

Swansea Coastguard received an emergency call at 4.40pm on 9 June 2001 and issued a Pan broadcast to shipping in the area off Lundy Island for assistance to rescue 12 divers and the skipper of the dive vessel ‘Our Unity’.

The divers had to be rescued from the sea after their boat took in water.

The rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor was scrambled along with the Appledore all-weather lifeboat and Lundy Coastguard Rescue Team.

Three dive vessels in the area, ‘Compass Rose’, ‘Neptune’ and ‘Jessica Hetty’, helped rescue the 12 divers from the water. The RAF helicopter winched a pump down to ‘Our Unity’ via ‘Compass Rose’.

‘Our Unity’ was then escorted by the Appledore lifeboat towards Ilfracombe Harbour, where Ilfracombe lifeboat took over to escort the vessel into harbour.