Second diver missing at Dorset shipwreck

A search operation has been launched from Swanage, Dorset, after a 22-year-old man from Northamptonshire disappeared at a popular dive site.

The diver was investigating the wreck of the Kyarra, 25 miles south-east of Swanage, from the private charter boat Killer Prawn.

Earlier this month, rescue workers were unable to find a woman who went missing while exploring the same wreck. The 48-year-old from Cambridgeshire was also part of a Killer Prawn diving group when she became separated from her dive buddy, who raised the alarm on surfacing.

In yesterday's incident, the diver surfaced and held on to his marker buoy before disappearing beneath the water without his face mask on. The skipper contacted Portland Coastguard at around 7.30am.

Ros Evans, Portland Coastguard's watch manager, said: "We are very concerned for the well-being of this diver. Despite saturating the area with a rescue helicopter, lifeboats, coastguard search teams and other vessels, we still have not found any sign of him."

The Kyarra was in 30 metres of water and is one of the most popular wrecks for diving on the south coast.