Search for missing diver

A MayDay call was put out by a local Dive boat when one of their divers was not seen to surface. The dive had been to the wreck of the Benton Castle, an Admiralty trawler sunk by a mine in October 1916. The Coastguard at Brixham co-ordinated a search by the Torbay All Weather lifeboat, The Dart Inshore lifeboat which was already afloat on exercise, the Coastguard helicopter from Portland and local dive boats David Ross, The Torbay Diver, and Salcombe Diveboat 2. HMS Mersey, the Fishery Patrol vessel, was also tasked to join the search. Coastguard cliff rescue teams from Dartmouth and Berry head searched the foreshore from Torcross to Blackstone Point. The lifeboats and the other craft having thoroughly searched the area downstream of the wreck and the inshore areas twice, the search was called off after five hours. A decision was made the next day that the way forward was to send down Police divers. This took place on the 22 May and no one was found. Lifeboat crew. Helm Chris Tracey. Lifeboat crew Darren Hopley and Mark Conroy. Launch crew. Peter Callis Tractor driver.