Missing divers presumed dead after exploring shipwreck in Cornwall

The cause of death is yet to be revealed

Two divers are missing and presumed dead after they didn’t return from their exploration of a sunken shipwreck off the coast of Cornwall.

Despite the deployment of a substantial search operation to locate the divers, they were not located nor were bodies uncovered near Whitsand Bay. The divers had been exploring the wreckage of the HMS Scylla when they disappeared in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The video below is of the HMS Scylla, but not from the recent incident.

The Scylla was in service between 1970 and 1993 before being intentionally sunken in 2004 to create an offshore reef. The reef has given insight into the behaviour of marine life and its willingness to turn manmade objects into flourishing ecosystems.

The frigate had become the resting place for scallops, anemones and mussels after about three months, and after six months starfish and urchins had made it their new home in large numbers. There are now about 250 species on and surrounding the wreck.

Since its sinking, the wreck has been a hotspot for tourists and divers.

James Instance from Falmouth Coastguard said a member of the diving party had raised the alarm after the pair did not return to the surface. He also said that the coastguard believes the pair have died.

“Our thoughts are with the people who were in the dive party who are dealing with what is a very traumatic experience,” he told the BBC.