POOLE, UK (11 Aug 2008) — Two divers suffering the bends had to be winched to safety from rough seas off Start Bay. Torbay lifeboat and the coastguard helicopter were involved in the dramatic rescue from two separate boats just minutes apart on Saturday morning. A woman, believed to be in her 30s, and a man, aged in his 60s, were yesterday being treated at a specialist decompression unit in Poole. The woman, part of a 12-strong group from a diving club in the South East, underwent seven hours recompression and was said to be in good spirits. Both divers were rescued off the coast in rough sea conditions and high south westerly winds just after 10am. Brixham coastguards scrambled the Portland-based Coastguard helicopter and Torbay inshore lifeboat after a distress call from Salcombe-based charter vessel The Lodesman at 10.21am. They were told a man was suffering the effects of the bends after ascending too quickly from 60 metres. It is understood that he was suffering from paralysis from the waist down. At 10.38am, Dartmouth-based charter diving vessel Maureen of Dart was about three-miles from Dartmouth Harbour when it reported a woman in her 30s was partially paralysed with effects of the bends after ascending too quickly while diving off wrecks at 35ft. The man was winched from the Lodesman on to the helicopter while the lifeboat was diverted to help the woman diver. She was winched to safety from the lifeboat onto the helicopter. The pair were taken to a decompression chamber in Poole. The woman is an experienced diver with the Wantage Diving Club in Oxfordshire. The club have charted the vessel for a week long trip and had initially hoped to dive the Isles of Scilly but instead decided to dive in the more sheltered Start Bay area because of poor weather. Mike Rowley, skipper of the Maureen of Dart said: "The dive went well but when aboard the lady complained of difficulty moving her legs. "We gave her oxygen and called the coastguard," he said. | | Two scuba divers including a member of BSAC's Wantage Diving Club were airlifted to hospital after they were injured in separate scuba diving accidents off Start Bay. Expedition leader Amanda Johnston said the woman was in good spirits. "She was in good spirits on the lifeboat and the symptoms she had then was tingling in her legs. "We have heard that she is to undergo a seven hour re-compression and the news is very positive. "We are a very experienced group of divers and are trained to deal with incidents like this," she said. It is understood that conditions were too foggy for the rescue helicopter to land at Derriford Hospital. It instead made its way to Poole Hyperbaric Centre. Brixham coastguard Nick Ferguson said: "There were force five to seven winds and rough seas. "At one point the lifeboat had to take shelter because it was being bashed against the Maureen of Dart during the rescue operation. "It is quite unusual to have an incident where two divers have got into difficulty in separate incidents just moments apart," he said. A BBC film crew were aboard the lifeboat as part of filming of a series about real-life sea rescues. The lifeboat Deputy launching officer Peter Churchill praised lifeboat crew members for their efforts in rough conditions. |
