Tales of the Unexpected - Dive Drama

The sea is an expert at creating tales of the unexpected, twisting moments into memories that will last a lifetime. It's a story that rings true for diver Mark Ninnim. A single dive over 20 years ago remains firmly etched in his memory and has shaped his life. 

Mark was one of six divers who set off to dive the Dorset coast near Portland on 26 August 1999. It was a carefully planned excursion with a serious objective. It was to be a deep dive to 35 metres and the 19th dive for Mark and his wife Trudi who were under the close instruction of experienced instructor Izzy and their divemaster Kevin, who were assessing them for their diving qualifications. 


Mark (left) and dive instructor Izzy remain firm friends. Image courtesy of Mark Ninnim

A turn for the worse


The dive itself went smoothly. It was only when the divers resurfaced that ‘things didn’t quite go according to plan’, according to Trudi’s detailed log. Alarm bells rang when the dive boat with its experienced skipper was nowhere to be seen and sea conditions were taking a turn for the worse. 

“We were on the surface for about ten minutes and there was still no sign of the boat which is highly unusual,” said Mark. Instructor Izzy told the group to abandon their heavy weight belts as a safety precaution to establish buoyancy and improve their ability to swim (divers use weight belts to help them descend into the water).  


In dangerous waters

Despite remaining calm, they realised that they were now in a very serious situation. And the current was taking them towards the Portland Bill Race, a notoriously dangerous stretch of water on the south coast. 


“We dropped our weight belts to give ourselves the best chance and started to swim for the shore. But the reality was we were too far away and with the weather and currents, we wouldn’t make it,” explained Mark. “We had no means of knowing what had happened, nor if help was on its way.” 


Help arrived

After around 20 minutes, their spirits lifted as they spotted help was coming. 


"In super quick time the HM Coastguard helicopter swooped in. Being in a dangerous situation with waves breaking over your head one minute and in the next being lifted to safety is a very humbling feeling, It was an incredible relief to be back on dry land within an hour of us surfacing and I’m forever grateful,” he said. 


Later the divers learned that a freak power failure had totally disabled the dive boat and all its communications. The skipper had made urgent pan pan and mayday calls on the VHF radio but it wasn’t transmitting. He then launched specialist marine flares which are a recognised distress signal and fortunately they were spotted by a member of the public on the cliffs who immediately called the coastguard on 999. 


Undeterred by the incident, Mark and his wife Trudi continued with their diving qualifications and pursued their passion.  Mark spent 20 years as a dive instructor until 2019 and developed a firm friendship with dive instructor Izzy. Sadly, (and unrelated to the diving incident described here) Trudi died some years ago. 


Eternally thankful

“Luckily during my 20-plus years of diving, I didn’t experience any more incidents like this one.  I’ll never forget that day and it proves how easily the unexpected can happen. I’m eternally thankful that the Coastguard is there to get help to anyone who gets unlucky,” added Mark. 


James Instance, Coastguard Commander at the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Falmouth said: 


“Mark’s tale is a stark example that misfortune can strike anyone including experienced people at any time around our coasts. It’s really important that dive parties plan for the worst so if there is an incident, anyone raising the alarm can tell us what action is likely to have been taken.  Over the last 20 years, there have been significant advances in technology to enable people to call for help. Investing a little time in having a contingency plan, researching safety advice and equipment can really be a lifesaver.” 


If anyone is in difficulties around the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. We’re on call 24/7 and we’ll send help.  


USEFUL LINKS
Read more about some of the tech that can help you if you get into difficulty here: Tech up in case of trouble 

Below image: Mark (left) and Izzy on a better day. Image courtesy of Mark Ninnim





 

 

 

 

Location: Isle of Portland, Portland, UK

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