DIVERS FOUND AFTER BEING CARRIED AWAY IN STRONG TIDES

At 11.00 am this morning the dive boat ‘Skindeeper’ reported to Portland Coastguard that it had two divers who were missing off Grove Point after completing their dive.

The divers were part of a larger group making a drift dive off Portland. The other divers were picked up at the end of the dive and it was then that the dive boat skipper realised that two were unaccounted for.

The local boats ‘Tiger Lily’, ‘Meerkat’ and ‘Sabre’ responded to Portland Coastguard’s urgency broadcast and began searching for the missing men. Weymouth Inshore and All Weather RNLI Lifeboats were launched and the Coastguard helicopter from Portland was scrambled.
The divers were spotted 1.5 nautical miles south west of Portland, having been carried  4.5 miles in approximately an hour by the strong tides along the east side of Portland.

They were recovered to shore by the helicopter, safe and well.

Portland Coastguard Duty Watch Manager Nic Lonsdale says:

“When the spring tides are running fast every second counts. These divers were very lucky.  Dive boat skippers should always contact HM Coastguard as soon as something starts to go wrong.”

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