Diver missing in Cook Strait

A diver is missing and another seriously ill with the bends after they were dragged deep under the waters of Cook Strait about 2.30pm yesterday.

The divers had been caught in severe underwater turbulence and dragged down to 64m below the surface near The Brothers Islands, just north of Tory Channel, Life Flight Trust Wellington operations manager Dave Greenberg said.

One had returned to the surface and been taken aboard the dive boat, a 16.5m launch, suffering from the bends.

The vessel's skipper had put out a mayday call, and the Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter had been on the way to the scene within four minutes of being alerted, Mr Greenberg said.

After a Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic had been winched on to the launch in 40km/h winds and 2m seas, the diver had been put into a harness and winched, with the paramedic, up to the helicopter.

"The diver we rescued said he got separated from his buddy on the way up and it is not known if he ever reached the surface," Mr Greenberg said.

The rescued diver had been taken straight to Wellington Hospital in a serious condition. Later, escorted by a specialist medical flight team from the hospital, he was taken by the Life Flight fixed-wing air ambulance to the recompression chamber at Christchurch Hospital.

The helicopter had picked up two members of the police dive squad and returned to the search area to help look for the second diver.

- NZPA