Divers face lockdown investigation after rescue mission

Two divers face investigation after flouting coronavirus rules to travel hundreds of miles to the south coast of England.

One had travelled nearly 500 miles from Edinburgh to Lyme Bay, while the other had come 100 miles from Cornwall.

Their diving session was only discovered when one of them went missing – sparking an air and sea search on Saturday afternoon.

Two coastguard helicopters, RNLI lifeboats, fishing boats and a Royal Navy warship searched the area after responding to an HM Coastguard Mayday.

The lone diver was spotted by a sailor on HMS Tyne after nearly two hours of searching for him.

He was three miles from where he had entered the water, having lost sight of the diving boat.

A Dorset Police spokesman said the two men, from Edinburgh and Wadebridge, were reported for “breaches of the regulations”.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: “We received a report at 4.55pm on April 25 from HM Coastguard in relation to a search for a missing diver south east of Lyme Regis.

“It was subsequently reported at around 5.15pm that the diver had been found safe and well.

“Officers attended Lyme Regis harbour and spoke to the divers in relation to breaching the Covid-19 regulations.

“Two men, one from Edinburgh and one from Wadebridge in Cornwall, were reported for breaches of the regulations.”

Lyme Regis is 437 miles from Edinburgh and over 100 miles from Wadebridge.