Former British policeman dies in scuba diving accident in Cayman Islands

Stock photo, Cayman Islands: PA

An ex-British policeman has died in a scuba diving accident in the Cayman Islands.

Chris Devereux, who was a serving officer with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, died during an off-duty dive.

Mr Devereux, 54, who had worked as a policeman in the UK for 30 years before moving to Cayman this May, got into difficulties while diving off Sunset House, near the capital George Town, according to the Daily Mail.

A RCIPS spokeswoman told the Evening Standard: "The officer had been shore diving with a colleague when he got into difficulty and lost consciousness.

"His colleague brought him to the surface. Staff from Sunset House immediately assisted, brought him to shore and performed CPR.

"When the ambulance crew arrived they continued CPR while conveying the officer to the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town.

"However, despite efforts of the dive staff and the paramedics he was pronounced dead on arrival.

"A family liaison officer has been appointed by the RCIPS and efforts are being made to contact his next of kin."

Back in July, a British man was one of four who died in a scuba diving accident near the tourist port of Palinuro in Italy.

Douglas Rizzo, 40, who was born in London but had been living in Rome, was leading a party of tourists in a scuba diving trip in a submerged cave called "Blood Grotto, popular because of its red walls caused by a bacterial growth.

But the group lost their bearings and panicked after kicking up mud from the floor with their flippers.

Massimo Ruggiero, the coastguard commander in Palinuro, said the group became confused when trying to exit the cave and instead entered a tunnel with a dead end.

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