EXMOUTH, UK (13 Sep 2007) -- The captain of an Exmouth charter boat saved a diver exploring a sunken wreck, after he was carried off by underwater currents on Saturday, writes David Beasley. Richard Tibbs, the captain of The Wave Chieftain - a deep sea fishing and diving boat - rescued a 38-year-old man after he was carried nearly four miles off course by tides near Berry Head. His partner, in a dive boat 18 nautical miles east of Berry Head, reported that he had not surfaced after investigating the wreck of the merchant vessel Manor. She raised the alarm when he did not check in - and informed Brixham Coastguard. Exmouth lifeboats immediately scrambled after the Torbay boat suffered engine trouble, while a May Day signal brought the help of RFA vessel Argus, the warship HMS Nottingham and its military aircraft. Thankfully, Mr Tibbs, an experienced diver on a charter cruise to the same wreck, picked up the diver in the nick of time. Mr Tibbs said: "I heard the alert (on the radio) and turned the boat round immediately. "I was going there anyway because I had a charter trip. He was very lucky. "In my opinion, if he keeps on doing what he was doing, there is no question about it - he will die. "He was a lone diver, with no support. And, no disrespect to his wife or girlfriend onboard the boat, she did not know what she was doing. "What he did was very dangerous, and didn't take into account the tides. To be honest, it was suicidal." | | "In my opinion, if he keeps on doing what he was doing, there is no question about it - he will die," said Captain Richard Tibbs. The diver had drifted between two and four miles off course. Giles White, acting coxswain for the Exmouth lifeboat, said: "He was picked up before we arrived. "He got into trouble because of the strong underwater currents in the area. "The diver was uninjured and needed no extra treatment. SOURCE - Exmouth JournalSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
