ORKNEY ISLANDS (16 July 2006) -- An Inquest is due to be opened into the death of a North Lincolnshire man who died in a diving incident. Matthew Hooton (61), from Stone Lane, Burringham, was part of a group of sports divers from Scunthorpe who were examining a wreck of a Second World War escort vessel in shallow waters in Scapa Flow, off the Orkney Isles. Mr Hooton, and other members of the Scunthorpe Divers, a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club, were diving off the Stromness boat, Invincible, on Sunday afternoon, when tragedy struck. Det Sgt Bob Mackenzie, of Kirkwall police, said it is unclear whether Mr Hooton was conscious when he surfaced from the dive at about 2pm that day. He was brought ashore, where ambulance personnel were waiting, but pronounced dead at the scene. The Scapa Flow expedition was one of several events planned by the Scunthorpe club this year. The party left North Lincolnshire last Friday, and were due to return this Friday. Det Sgt Mackenzie said Scunthorpe Divers have about 50 members and are well respected among the diving community. And, he added, this was Orkney's first diving fatality of 2006. He said there were 12 divers in the party from the Scunthorpe club on the boat. "They were about two or three miles offshore. It was not deep there, about 18m," he said. "There were four deaths through diving incidents in 2004, there were, however, none last year and Mr Hooton was the first diver to have lost his life off the waters of Orkney this year." He said an inquest would be held in Inverness either today or tomorrow to establish the cause of Mr Hooton's death. The death was not being treated as suspicious. A post mortem examination is to be carried out in Inverness. And, as a matter of course, a report concerning the circumstances surrounding Mr Hooton's death will later be sent to the Procurator Fiscal, the Scottish equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service, to see if any criminal proceedings should be considered. Scunthorpe Divers hold training sessions at Riddings Pool and group lectures, particularly theory training sessions, are held at the Grange Farm Hobbies Centre. Club chairman John Neall said: "There is an investigation going on and I am not at liberty to say anything until that has finished." Mr Hooton's family were last night too distressed to speak about their loss. A Famous landmark Scapa Flow is a natural harbour which has been used for many centuries. It became a famous landmark during the First World War in 1916, when 52 ships from the British Navy were sent from there to confront 40 German ships. | | But it has been an important northern base for the British fleets in both world wars. It is now one of Britain's most historic stretches of water - located within the Orkney Islands, off the northeast coast of Scotland. During the First World War, the British Grand Fleet used Scapa Flow as a northern base. After a German U-Boat managed to enter the Flow early in the war, merchant ships were sent as blockships in strategic places and anti-submarine nets were put in place. From this base, vessels from the fleet made sweeps in a search for the enemy. During the Second World War, the Home Fleet was again based at Scapa Flow, from where it helped to protect the Arctic Convoys to Murmansk. The Scapa Flow Visitor Centre is housed in the former oil pumping station at the Lyness Naval Base, on Hoy. Here are housed many exhibits from both wars. Facts about Wreck Diving Wreck diving is a type of diving where shipwrecks are explored. This appeals to divers because the wrecks sometimes have a history which is exciting or tragic and they are also usually large structures which show parts and machinery not normally visible on working vessels. However, because many attractive and well preserved wrecks are in deeper water, there are a number of hazards divers must look out for, and deep diving precautions are essential. If a diver actually enters a shipwreck (known as penetration) special training and equipment will be needed. Wreck diver training courses are provided by organisations such as the Professional Association of Diving Instructors Wreck Diver, but others, such as British Sub Aqua Club, do not separate the types of diving because they have fewer underwater attractions and many easier to reach wrecks. Wrecks are legally protected in many countries, including Britain, from unauthorised salvage or desecration. SOURCE - Scunthorpe TelegraphSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
