Lost diver's cries reach crewman on smoke break

A Wellington diver picked up after a night drifting in Cook Strait was starting to worry when sea fog closed in round him.

Stuart Grenside, 34, was one of 10 divers in an organised trip off the capital's south coast. He became separated from his companions and reported missing around 5pm on Sunday.

An air and sea search was mounted, but there was no sign of the missing diver until shortly after 5am yesterday when his cries for help were heard by a crewman on the Strait Shipping vessel The Kent.

"The water temperature wasn't too bad, but the waves were getting a bit rough. I started to get worried when the fog rolled in," Mr Grenside told police.

The ferry skipper, Donald MacLeod, told Radio Live that the diver was spotted after a crew member had gone on deck to smoke and heard his cries for help. He said they stayed with the diver and directed a nearby fishing boat to pick him up at the mouth of Wellington Harbour.

Mr MacLeod says it was more practical to let the fishing boat pick up Mr Grenside rather than lower the cargo ship's life boat.

Sergeant John Bryant, head of the Wellington Police Maritime Unit, said Mr Grenside, nine other divers and a boatman were diving late on Sunday afternoon in the Thom's Rock and Karori Light area.

"Stuart and his buddy and another pair were the first four dropped into the water," Mr Bryant said. "We understand they'd gone about four metres when Stuart indicated he was having trouble equalising his ears and signalled to his buddy that he was going up.

"His buddy watched him ascend and joined the two other divers. When the buddy surfaced 17 minutes later, he checked with the boatman but Stuart at that stage still had plenty of air."

The dive boat broke down, leaving two women in the water, as well as Mr Grenside. The two women could be seen, but the boatman could not restart the engines to go and pick them up.

The Westpac rescue helicopter, the police launch Lady Elizabeth III and the Spirit of Wellington were called in.

The helicopter found the two women and continued searching for Mr Grenside.

Three other vessels joined the search. A search along the coast by vehicles was also undertaken in case Mr Grenside had made it to shore.

Mr Bryant said water conditions were getting quite rough by 7pm with a 25 to 30 knot northerly wind blowing.

Mr Grenside was experienced and equipped with a rescue "sausage", he said.

"These are great for daytime visibility, but we encourage any diver who goes into the water within two hours of sunset to make sure they carry a strobe light, mini personal flare or a torch.

"This means that if something does go wrong it heightens your chances of being seen by rescuers."

- NZPA