Diver with the ‘bends’ airlifted to hospital

A diver was airlifted from Lerwick Harbour to hospital in Aberdeen this morning after suffering decompression sickness – the “bends”.

The man was airlifted from the recreational dive boat Valkyrie which had working on the wreck of the Glenisla, a coal ship that sank after a collision in Breiwick in 1917.

Coastguards were alerted that the man had problems about 10.30am and rescue 900 was despatched from Sumburgh to airlift him from the deck of the ship. He was flown to the specialist dive unit in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

On the way back the helicopter was diverted to Fair Isle to pick up a 10-year-old boy who had injured his head falling off a swing. The chopper first landed at Wick to refuel and put down again at Clickimin around 3.30am for the boy to be taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital.