The body of a diver who went missing near Hastings off the south coast of England on Saturday was found by a group of divers on Sunday afternoon.
A massive search and rescue operation was launched at around 1.50 pm on Saturday after the man, who has not been named, failed to surface as planned from a dive in the Dover Strait, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Two HM Coastguard helicopters, three fixed-wing aircraft, and lifeboat crews from RNLI Hastings, Eastbourne and Dungeness joined the search, which was eventually called off at approximately 11 pm.
A spokesman for Dungeness Lifeboat Station said: ‘Yesterday Solent Coastguard requested the launch of our Shannon-class lifeboat in response to a missing diver on the edge of the shipping lanes ten miles south of Hastings.
‘The lifeboat made best speed and arrived on scene to assist with the search alongside Eastbourne RNLI, Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat, two helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as well as multiple commercial and private vessels transiting the shipping lanes who also responded to the distress call.
‘An extensive multi-vessel search was carried out into the night and at 11 pm, with nothing found, all assets were stood down and returned to station.
‘Our thoughts are with the diver’s family and friends at this difficult time.’
Sussex Police confirmed the body has been identified, and the diver’s next of kin have been informed.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said, ‘We can confirm the body of a diver has sadly been recovered off the coast of Hastings this afternoon.’
‘His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers, and this will now be a coronial matter.’
The tragedy is the fourth to have struck the south coast of England during July, and follows just a few days after the search for 20-year-old Emily Sherwin, an aspiring marine biologist who went missing near Swanage on Tuesday, was also called off.
Earlier in July a search was launched and eventually called off for a diver missing off Beachy Head, and a diver in his 50s tragically died after being recovered by a coastguard helicopter at nearby Cuckmere Haven.
