TRAVELSPECIAL
Early in the dive , major kit adjustments were necessary
Interviews and congratulations on the support boat ; the moment of triumph .
surface . Due to potential blood pressure issues , Shaff was lifted out of the water horizontally . A coastguard vessel was on hand to give him a preliminary medical exam and put him on oxygen , after which he would be allowed onto our support boat .
There was a nervy 30-minute minute wait , with no sign from the coastguard boat ... but then , like all the best celebrity reveals , Shaff stepped out from behind a towel to thunderous applause .
A final drama
I was amazed at how good he looked ; with that familiar happy face we had come to love . Everyone was waiting to shake his hand and take a selfie with the hero of the hour , plus an interview with the Maldivian Minister for tourism and endless photos of the team .
Then , a final setback . Once all the excitement had died down and we ’ d returned to land for a celebratory dinner , Shaff started to feel unwell . We put this down to him not eating properly for several days ; but all of a sudden , he collapsed . Much of what happened next was a bit of a blur . We rushed him to the local medical centre and although he had regained consciousness , he had to undergo many tests . Doctors ordered him to Malé so he could be placed under observation at the hospital there .
We couldn ’ t go with him and faced a sleepless night waiting for news of our friend , but woke to the news that Shaff was up and eating . We all caught the first ferry back to Malé , by which time Shaff had been released from hospital on the condition that he took it easy . Shaff being Shaff , he was instantly back on the case – contrary to all advice – to make sure he seized his moment of fame to get the message across about single use plastics and our throwaway society . �
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