A 40-year-old Lulworth man has died in hospital three days after a dive on the wreck of the Salsette in Lyme Bay.

The experienced diver surfaced unconscious following what otherwise appeared to be a normal dive on Friday, September 2.

He was taken by coastguard helicopter to Dorset County Hospital at Dorchester just after 5pm but died just before midnight on Monday, September 5.

Dorset Police marine section is investigating the death on behalf of the coroner and the results of a post-mortem are awaited.

The diver, who has not been named, was one of 12 divers onboard the charter dive boat Extreme, based at Weymouth.

A coastguard spokesman said: "He was diving with a buddy and at some stage they became separated on their ascent."

The 134-metre long Salsette is a P&O liner which lies 46m deep in Lyme Bay, 10 miles west of Portland, and is one of Britain's most popular wreck dives.

Marine police searching for two divers, missing presumed dead, following dives off the wreck of the Kyarra off Swanage, spent yesterday searching the seabed using an unmanned submarine with a camera on board.

Linda Pembroke, 48, from Wales, and 22-year-old Mark Steel of Daventry went missing in two separate incidents during dives on the wreck during August.

Coastguard sector manager Rob Samson advises divers not to dive if they have any doubts about conditions, their gear, or if they are feeling ill.

He said: "Every diver is trained to dive within their limits and we cannot stress enough that if you think a dive is outside your training then don't dive it.

"Don't be put off by peer pressure because at the end of the day you are only answerable to yourself."

The Salsette was first dived in the early 1970s.

It once held the coveted Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing but sank after being torpedoed by U-Boat on July 20, 1917.

First published: September 8, 2005