PORTSMOUTH, UK (12 Oct 2008) — Three divers had to be taken to hospital with the bends after surfacing off the Sussex coast. The Solent Coastguard took all three to be treated at a hospital decompression chamber following two separate incidents. The first call out came at around 4.15pm yesterday when two people on the dive boat Macdee developed problems ten miles out from Hove. Both suffered sickness and pains in their joints after surfacing from a 29-metre dive. Both divers were given oxygen on board while the coastguard helicopter made their way out to them to airlift them to the Haslar hospital in Portsmouth. At around the same time a second call came in from the crew of Channel Diver, where a man exploring a wreck 20 miles south of Bognor, had surfaced too quickly following a 52 metre dive. The crew of the Channel Diver were told to head towards the direction of the Macdee so the helicopter crew could winch all three casualties on board and get them all to hospital more quickly. All three divers were being treated in hospital by 6pm and are said to be recovering well. Coastguard watch manager Mike Williams said: "In such incidents, speed is of the essence and our new helicopter can provide a brisk response. | 
