Missing diver search called off

The Firth of Lorne goes into Loch Linnhe

Coastguards have called off their search for a missing diver following a sea accident in which her companion died.

The alarm was raised after Dorothy Morris and Stuart Haldine were reported missing while diving around the Garvellach islands, near Oban in Argyll on Monday.

The body of 43-year-old Mr Haldine, from Droitwich in Worcestershire, was found shortly after the search began.

Coastguard teams, helped by a Royal Navy helicopter from HMS Gannett at Prestwick and members of the Strathclyde Police underwater unit, resumed their search for Ms Morris, 49, at first light on Tuesday.

But the rescue mission was called off at 0900BST.

Oban Coastguard was involved in the operation

John Griffiths, district controller of Clyde Coastguard, said: "Although we have carried out a very concentrated search in the area we have unfortunately been unable to find the missing woman.

"Police divers will be diving around the area where the woman was last seen later on today, but other than this the search has now been terminated."

Mr Haldine and Ms Morris from Redcar in Cleveland were in a party of nine divers when they got into trouble.

The team had made it out to an underwater rock in the Firth of Lorne known as the Pinnacle.

It is popular with divers and measures 150 metres high with the top 19 metres below the surface.

The Pinnacle is well within the normal sports diving depth of 30 metres.

The search for Ms Morris was sparked when Mr Haldine appeared on the surface of the water. He was taken on board the dive boat and given resuscitation treatment.

But he was pronounced dead before the vessel reached shore.