SIMON'S TOWN, South Africa (17 Feb 2008) — A British couple on holiday in South Africa nearly drowned during a scuba diving course. NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the near-fatal scuba diving accident happened at Long Beach in Simon's Town where the couple encountered problems during their first open water dive. Authorities said the husband, 54, panicked at a depth of about six meters when his dive mask flooded and he could not ditch his weight belt. "He started to panic when he could not get his belt off. Soon after that he was found floating in the water unconscious," Lambinon said. At about the same time, the wife also panicked and nearly drowned. The dive instructor and a divemaster pulled the two divers to shore and revived the unconscious man with CPR. Paramedics who responded to a call for help found the man semi-conscious when they arrived at the scene. Both the husband and wife were taken to hospital. NSRI Simon's Town, Cape Medical Response, Simon Town's Naval Ambulance, Fire and Rescue and ER24 all responded to the emergency. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK | 
