Sheephaven divers were in the water over weekend with a boat dive from Mevagh on Saturday, followed by a Search and Recovery training dive on Sunday morning.

The Saturday morning boat dive was led by Kevin Boylan to a site across Mulroy bay from the Mevagh boatyard and the dive was conducted in one stick due to the presence of a dry coxswain.

In keeping with recent dives in the area marine life was relatively quiet but it was an ideal opportunity for checking out dive gear, particularly in one case for the maiden dive of a brand new dry suit.

Dives such as conducted on Saturday morning allow Sheephaven divers to remain in accordance with best diving practice, which would recommend that a diver does not allow too much of an interval between dives.

In this situation a period of over three months between dives limits a diver to a depth of no greater than 20 metres for three qualifying dives before resuming the maximum depth applicable for their grade.

It also allows a diver to remain acclimatised to the current water temperature, which on Saturdays dive was five degrees Celsius and would be a significant limiting feature when considering a maximum surface to surface time of no greater than 30 minutes.

Sunday morning’s Sheephaven snorkel in PortnaBlagh continued with the theme of being prepared for the prevailing water conditions, as the club Search and Recovery Unit conducted an exercise in the harbour, consisting of a rope line search guided by two topside snorkelers.

This also ensures that all members of the Search and Recovery Unit are physically prepared in the event that they might be called upon by the Civil powers in response to an incident.

As circumstances would have it Sheephaven SAR were called out on Monday afternoon in response to a call from the Coastguard to assist the recovery of a person who had fallen into the river near Gweedore.

The Sheephaven SAR unit were able to quickly provide the appropriate assistance as requested in this incident and the club wishes to extend their sympathies to the family, friends and work associates of the deceased. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.