Brit ex-soldier, 70, found dead 150ft underwater after vanishing while diving off Spanish coast

RESCUERS have confirmed they have found the body of 70-year-old British man who disappeared whilst diving off the coast of Spain.

The former member of the British Armed Forces was reported missing at lunchtime on Thursday and a massive search operation was launched by sea, land and air.

The Maritime Rescue Service confirmed this afternoon that his body had been located at a depth of 52 metres and 1.3 miles north-east of the Hormigas Islands, a popular destination for divers because of its excellent conditions and sunken wrecks.

It is understood he had gone out with a dive school based in Cabo De Palos, near Cartagena on the south-coast.

He was last seen near the islands before fellow divers lost touch.

Helicopters, the coastguard, divers, firefighters and a Red Cross boat had all been involved in the search.

Spanish Navy vessels in the area were called in to help as rescuers battled rough sea conditions.

The emergency services also used a remote operation submarine vehicle from the tug boat Clara Campoamo to look for his body.

TRAGIC ENDING

The search had continued throughout Thursday before being postponed overnight and continued today.

A tweet from Maritime Rescue confirmed this afternoon: “Located the body of the diver disappeared in #CabodePalos at 1.3 m NE of Hormigas and 52 metres deep by GEAS (sub-aqua) divers.

“Recalling the GEAS boat to recover. Others withdrawn.”

Government delegate Francisco Jiménez said he “lamented the tragic outcome but thanked the effort and work of Salvage, Red Cross, Navy, Civil Guard and the Emergency Coordination Service 112”.

The dead Brit has not yet been named.

The alarm was raised around midday yesterday by a dive school in Cabo de Palos near Cartagena which said it had lost contact with the missing man.

A Spanish Coastguard spokesman confirmed two helicopters were taking turns to search for the Brit along with a Red Cross boat and two other Coastguard vessels.

One of the vessels is being used to drop a remote operated vehicle participating in the search.

The dive school he had gone out with, one of eight in the area, has not been named.

No-one from the Civil Guard, which has mobilised one of the two helicopters, could be reached for comment this afternoon.

LAND AND SEA SEARCH

But a Spanish Coastguard spokesman said: “We were alerted at eight minutes past midday today.

“The missing man is a British ex-member of the Armed Forces aged 70.

“A Civil Guard and Coastguard helicopter are taking turns to search for him.

“Two Coastguard vessels and a Red Cross boat are also involved.

“A remote operated vehicle has been dropped from one of our vessels and it is currently searching at 40 metres below the sea surface.

“A call has gone out to any Spanish Navy vessels in the area to help out as well if they can.”

A regional government representative for the area added: “All the state’s resources have been activated in the search for this British national, a former member of the military aged 70 who disappeared while he was diving north of the Hormigas Islands in Cabo de Palos.”

Cabo de Palos is next to the popular holiday destination of La Manga, around 20 miles from the town of Cartagena.

It is popular with scuba diving fans as its sea bed is one of the most important nature reserves in the Mediterranean.
Hormigas Islands are two and a half miles from the coast. The sea bed there is considered one of the best scuba diving sites in Spain and has been designated an Integral Marine Reserve for its beauty and excellent state of conservation.
As well as the remains of shipwrecks and sunken boats, it is also home to reefs and deep underwater corral.

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