British diver Carl Spencer dies exploring Titanic sister ship
- By treasures
- On 26/05/2009
- In People or Company of Interest
By Hannah Fletcher - Times Online
A highly respected British diver has died during the exploration of a shipwreck off the coast of Greece.
Carl Spencer, 37, had been leading a 17-man National Geographic Society expedition to film Britannic, sister ship of Titanic, off the island of Kea when he suffered severe decompression sickness (DCS), also known as the bends, during an emergency ascent to the surface.
The 53,000-ton Britannic, even larger than her famous sibling and deemed equally “unsinkable”, was lost in 57 minutes after hitting a mine in 1916, while serving as a hospital ship during the First World War.
The wreck was discovered in 1975 by the French undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau, but, lying at about 300ft (90m), it pushes divers to the limits of endurance.
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Carl Spencer dies Titanic sister ship British diver Britannic National Geographic Society island of Kea