Woman dies in 'diving incident' off Cornwall coast

Police are treating death off the Manacles rocks near Falmouth as ‘unexplained’

The Manacles rocks, off The Lizard peninsula, Cornwall. (Mark Murphy/Wiki Commons)

A woman in her 50s has died following a diving incident off the coast of Cornwall.

The coastguard said the woman, from Oxfordshire, was part of a group diving at The Manacles – a set of treacherous rocks in Falmouth Bay popular for its shipwrecks.

A search and rescue helicopter and lifeboat joined a major rescue operation at about 1pm on Wednesday after the diving boat’s skipper issued a mayday alert.

The woman was airlifted from the diving boat to Royal Cornwall Hospital but was later pronounced dead, CornwallLive reports.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the death was being treated as “unexplained”.

A police spokesperson said: “Police have been informed of the death of a woman at Royal Cornwall Hospital on Wednesday, 28 August.

“It’s understood that the woman was pulled from the water at St Keverne earlier in the day.

“A woman in her 50s from, Oxfordshire, was confirmed deceased in hospital. Her next of kin are aware.

“The death is currently being treated as unexplained and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”