In worsening seas , HMS Hoste , had significant structural damage and was taking on large volumes of water . Later that morning , after 13 heroic attempts by HMS Marvel to come alongside and transfer personnel across the decks , all but four men had been recovered before she finally sank . The story was fascinating and the fate devastating .
The team at Lost in Waters Deep ( LiWD ) believed they knew where the wrecks were located , based on the reported sinking locations and the hydrographic data from the area . The wrecks needed to be identified by a diving team with a successful track record in the field of research at depth . The charted depths of 94m , 102m and 112m ( Hoste was believed to be in two parts ) meant that the team needed to be experienced and appropriately equipped . We assembled a combination of a previous team with some additional personnel , creating the ideal group to explore and identify these wrecks .
Express delivery
On 19 August 2023 , the team arrived and embarked DSV Clasina in Stromness , Orkney . The weather had chased us up country , with Storm Betty nipping at our tails . Not the
Side of one of the Yarrow boilers
Godfrey Priest wrangling the gas filling hoses
promising start we had hoped for .
Even with a team of experienced divers , it ’ s always great to have a shakedown dive to check equipment after a long journey and also ensure that safety procedures and protocols are suitable and sufficient .
Our first dive , on day 2 , included a run through of some emergency measures , specifically a planned gas drop for a diver supposedly ascending on bail-out gas , at the end of the dive . The target was the wreck of the Svinta , at a depth of 65m . The bailout plan went well – six cylinders on two lines went down the ‘ casualty ’ s ’ DSMB line , providing them with sufficient gas to get themselves to the surface .
Unfortunately , after our diligent drills and skills , one of the divers started getting pain in their elbow . They were immediately placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was informed . The lifeboat met us on our way back to Kirkwall , where the casualty was transferred across with their buddy and taken to the recompression chamber in Stromness . Fortunately , Kevin Heath ( of Lost in Waters Deep ) was the chamber operator and after a four hour recompression session , our diver was declared ‘ fixed ’ and returned to the boat to act as deck manager for the rest of the expedition .
Obviously , we wanted to ensure the team member was safe and stayed with us , so we had an unplanned night at Kirkwall harbour , with the casualty and their buddy embarking in the early hours
Neil Cope working at the gas panel
The decompression bar at 6m
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