Search for missing diver in Dorset suspended for the night
- Published
A major search for a diver who failed to resurface in the English Channel has been suspended for the night.
The coastguard was called to an area south of Swanage, Dorset, at 16:40 BST on Sunday after reports a diver on an expedition had gone missing.
The dive vessel Emma J alerted authorities after one of three divers did not resurface.
Lifeboats and a search and rescue helicopter were involved in a search of around 10 nautical miles.
Dorset Police, along with other agencies, will assess the situation before deciding whether to resume later, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.
Mark Rodaway, operations centre commander at the National Maritime Operations Centre, which is overseeing the search, said on Sunday: "This is a significant incident.
"This diver has been missing for more than three hours and clearly this is very serious.
"We are concentrating our search on this area and will continue to do so."