TWO divers were rescued by coastguard helicopters after becoming ill after a dive.

A female diver suffering with the bends after a 60metre dive in the Channel was airlifted early on Tuesday afternoon.

She had been diving off Weymouth dive boat Tango about 20 nautical miles south of Portland Bill.

The Portland coastguard helicopter airlifted her to the recompression chamber in Poole.

Then a few hours later when the boat was coming into harbour coastguards received a second call reporting another diver needing assistance.

Portland helicopter started the airlift but suffered a mechanical problem and took the casualty back to base on Portland.

The Lee-on-Solent helicopter was called and airlifted the casualty to a recompression chamber in Plymouth.