Henley in Arden diver died in Egypt after shark hunt

Coventry Telegraph -

A diver who was exploring an Egyptian reef for sharks died minutes after emerging from the water. But it may never be clear exactly how 51-year-old Maurice Gowen, of Henley in Arden, lost his life. An inquest at Leamington Justice Centre yesterday heard how dad-of-one Mr Gowen had taken part in more than 400 dives since he took up the hobby in the 1980s and had joined friends from Solihull Diving Club for a week-long break last month.

He was just 12 minutes into a dive around Big Brother Island – famed for the number of sharks it attracts – when he became separated from his diving buddy.

According to his dive computer he then rapidly ascended to the surface of the Red Sea from a depth of 29 metres.

As her floated on the surface he was spotted by an Italian crew, who asked him if he was OK.

After Mr Gowen confirmed he was fine they continued their dive. But minutes later they were told to return to their boat because “a tragedy” had taken place.

<>Mystery still surrounds the exact circumstances behind Mr Gowen’s death as key test results have not been released by the Egyptian authorities.

Dr Colin Eagle, who was Mr Gowen’s diving buddy on the day, said: “He did seem apprehensive and a little anxious before the dive. He was an experienced diver, and he would normally seem very calm and confident.

“He did seem to calm down beforehand. About ten minutes into the dive we swam away to look for sharks.

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