Advertisement

Diver Fails To Resurface In English Channel

Diver Fails To Resurface In English Channel

A search for a diver who failed to resurface during a trip in the English Channel has been suspended.

The search lasted hours on Sunday afternoon after the coastguard was called to the area south of Swanage in Dorset at 4.40pm.

Lifeboats and a search and rescue helicopter were involved in the search of the area covering around 10 nautical miles.

"We carried out a thorough search of the area in excess of five hours, until we lost the light," Aimee Rampton, the National Maritime Operations Centre controller, told Sky News.

"It's a very sad situation, we haven't located the diver as yet," she added.

“We suspended the search pending further information.”

The dive vessel Emma J alerted authorities after only two of three drivers resurfaced during an expedition.

Mark Rodaway, operations centre commander at the National Maritime Operations Centre, called the incident "significant".

"This diver has been missing for more than three hours and clearly this is very serious."

Dorset Police, along with other agencies, will assess the situation before deciding whether to resume later, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.