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MAIB report: Death of a diver avoidable
The death of the diver Paul Smith, 70, from Greater Manchester,who was struck by a propeller, when descending from the dive boat 'Jean Elaine' off Orkney could have been avoided with the "basic principles of good watchkeeping", investigators have said. He was diving at the wreck of German battleship SMS 'Markgraf' in Scapa Flow on the morning of Sep 28, 2023, when the accident happened. The Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) report, published on Oct 16, 2025, said he was struck by the rotating propeller of the 'Karin' and later found dead near the island of Cava. The diver and his dive partner were carrying out a decompression stop. The pair had released a delayed surface marker buoy while submerged to alert support craft of their presence, the line of which was attached to Mr Smith's buoyancy control device. Although the buoy was visible to the second dive boat waiting on the other side of the wreck, it was not seen by te 'Karin''s crew, and the vessel motored over its position. The MAIB said it was the responsibility of skippers to maintain an "effective lookout" at all times. "Posting a dedicated lookout in an appropriate location is essential to make sure the person at the helm/skipper receives timely warnings of surfacing divers and allows for effective avoiding action." The MAIB highlighted the need for detailed and frequent communication between operators when multiple boats intended to operate in the same area, to prevent accidents. A recommendation has been made to the Orkney Islands Council Harbour to conduct a further risk-based review of recreational diving operations for dive vessel operators, including the development of a local code of practice for recreational diving operations: "All stakeholders, including operators, regulators, and industry bodies, must always prioritise the safety of those who are on the water, be that for work or pleasure. The basic principles of good watchkeeping: vigilance, clear communication and adherence to operational procedures for the activities undertaken are well tried and tested. Had they been followed during this event, particularly with two vessels operating in close proximity to submerged divers, this tragic accident could have been avoided." Scapa Flow has become one of Europe's premier wreck diving sites and the seven large wrecks that remained on the bottom are now classed as scheduled monuments.
Lifeboat assisted disabled dive ship
The Longhope lifeboat was requested to launch on March 6, 2017 by the UK Coastguard at 7.03 p.m. and was underway at 7.20 p.m. after the "Karin" with a crew of three on board had suffered engine failure in the Pentland Firth and was drifting east of Stroma. A nearby fishing boat, the "Vest Viking" altered course and was standing by. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 7.44 p.m. It was able to establish a tow. Sea conditions were moderate as they made their way back to Orkney. During the tow the crew of the "Karin" managed to restart the engines and proceed independently. The tow was released and the lifeboat escorted the boat back to the more sheltered waters of Scapa Flow. The "Karin" continued to Stromness and the lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 10.25 p.m. Report with photo: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/march/07/rnli-longhope-lifeboat-tasked-for-night-rescue
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