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Air ambulance called to 'Blue Lake' after diver incident at St Andrews Lakes in Halling

By: Nicola Jordan njordan@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 13:07, 20 October 2020

Updated: 14:00, 20 October 2020

A diver has been transferred to a major trauma hospital following an incident at a water sports centre.

It is the third time emergency services have been called to the newly-opened St Andrew's Lakes, Halling , to treat a patient in as many months.

The London Air Ambulance at the scene at St Andrews Lakes on Saturday. Picture by Simon Ainsworth

On Saturday afternoon, a medical crew from London's Air Ambulance was scrambled to the water sports leisure centre which boasts the UK's newest inland fresh-water scuba diving site.

A spokesman said: “Our advanced trauma team was dispatched via aircraft at 2.35pm to reports of an incident involving a diver.

"After treatment on the scene, the patient was transferred by road to a major trauma hospital accompanied by London’s Air Ambulance.”

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Last month a diver was taken in a a serious condition after being forced to make an emergency ascent.

Ambulances were called on the afternoon of Sunday, September 20 when his equipment failed.

St Andrews Lakes in Halling

At the time, a spokesman for St Andrew's Lakes said: "A diver had an equipment malfunction of his own equipment and made an emergency ascent.

"Standard emergency procedures were followed by the dive school and as a sensible precaution the paramedics who attended decided he needed to attend a decompression chamber and he was taken by hospital where he is making a full recovery."

The first call-out happened in August when a scuba diver was airlifted to a hospital in Chichester, Sussex, which specialises in the treatment of decompression illness, following a "medical incident".

This happened just weeks after site was opened to the public

The diver, who had been training at the time, made a full recovery.

"A diver had an equipment malfunction of his own equipment and made an emergency ascent"

The venue is used by thousands of divers and used for training throughout the year by the Metropolitan Police and Royal Engineers.

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It is set to become a registered five-star PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors site) and is led by Southern Scuba which has recently taken over the dive school.

A Southern Scuba spokesman confirmed last Saturday's incident, saying: "The diver was under training with an organisation that came to use the lake.

"The diver was assessed at the scene by the doctors. They advised that the diver was conscious and alert and was deemed fit to go to Medway trauma unit by ambulance to be monitored and we understand that they have since been discharged."

Read more: All the latest news from Medway

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