TRIBUTES have been paid to an ‘experienced’ diver who died after being airlifted from sea off Portland.

Dorset Police said that a 58-year-old man died after he was taken to Dorset County Hospital by the coastguard helicopter from the area known as Balaclava Bay, near Portland, on Sunday afternoon.

Yesterday, the man was named by the coroner’s office as Brian Phillips from Yeovil.

A police spokesman said: “Dorset Police were called at 2.36pm on Sunday, May 1 by Dorset County Hospital to reports that a diver had been rescued from the sea off Portland just after 1pm by the coastguard helicopter.

“A 58-year-old man from Yeovil was airlifted to Dorset County Hospital for treatment.

“Sadly he died a short time later.

​“His next of kin have been informed and the coroner notified.

“An investigation is underway to assist HM Coroner.”

A spokesman for the coroner’s office in Dorset said: “We can identify the man as Brian Phillips, 58, from Yeovil.

“We are awaiting a post mortem report to determine whether he had a medical event or something went wrong with his equipment.

“He was an experienced diver on an organised dive.”

Mr Phillips was a club member of the Old Harbour Dive Centre in Weymouth.

A spokesperson for the club said: “Brian was a valued club member and our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said that there had been a dive incident and that the matter was in the hands of Dorset Police.
 

The coastguard rescue helicopter brought Mr Phillips to Dorset County Hospital from Balaclava Bay shortly before 1.30pm on Sunday.

The Wyke Regis Coastguard Rescue Team was paged to secure the helicopter landing site at Dorchester accident and emergency before the aircraft’s arrival at the hospital.

Andy Alcock, from the Weymouth and Portland Licensed Fisherman’s Association, said: “We do lose one or two divers a year; it’s not the safest of sports.

“It is always sad to hear when it happens.”