A DIVER missing off the North-East coast was rescued after a nearby ship spotted him using an emergency strobe light.

The man was reported missing just after 9pm after he failed to resurface at his dive boat.

The dive boat issued a distress call and two RNLI lifeboats from Redcar, east Cleveland, two lifeboats from Hartlepool and an RAF Sea King helicopter, searched Tees Bay, off the Redcar coast.

The diver, who had been on the surface for about 30 minutes, was spotted by a ship’s lookout, who saw his emergency strobe light. The Hartlepool lifeboat also spotted the diver’s light and rescued him.

He was located about six miles north west of Redcar.

He was given a medical check, but he was not hurt.

Dave Cocks, of Redcar RNLI, said: “Considering the recent tragedies involving divers off the North-East coast over the last week or so, we’re all delighted that, on this occasion, the diver has been found safe and well.

“If it hadn’t been for the very prompt turnout by the RNLI lifeboats, the diver having the right emergency equipment and the crew of the ship, the Norsky, being particularly vigilant, it could well have been a very different outcome.”

The rescue happened only days after diver Malcolm Colin Bell, 52, from Scarborough, died off the coast of Hartlepool. He died after getting into difficulty 11 miles from the coast.

On August 3, two men died diving off the coast of Filey, North Yorkshire. The men, from the Scarborough area, were picked up eight miles off the coast, but were pronounced dead at hospital.