A SCUBA diver who spent almost three hours drifting out to sea today told how he refused to panic as he waited to be rescued from the stormy waters.

David Dyson, 38, instructed the cox of his boat the Kerry Girl to give up any rescue attempt because of the danger caused by the strong tide and high waves.

And today he said a big "thank you" to the 44-man strong search and rescue operation which eventually led to him being safely plucked from the sea.

Mr Dyson of Meadow Park, Irwell Vale, Ramsbottom, was diving with a party of five friends in a bay off the west coast of Scotland near Stranraer when the drama unfolded.

He said: "I began drifting and the boat couldn't get to me to pick me up. "I signalled to the cox not to risk a rescue. They lost me and called the coastguard."

The qualified advanced diver remained in the water for a further two and half hours as a helicopter and six rescue boats scoured the area.

He was eventually winched to safety from the south end of the Mull of Galloway by the Prestwick-based Royal Navy Sea King helicopter and taken to the Garrick Hospital, Stranraer.

He added: "I wasn't too worried because as a qualified diver, I knew what was going on.

"I could just about see the rescue boats in the distance.

"I knew that I would stay buoyant and was wearing a dry suit that would keep me warm.

"In my mind, it was just a matter of time before they picked me up."

Mr Dyson, who runs a tropical fish business in Bury, signalled to the helicopter with his flippers.

He suffered minor hypothermia but was released from hospital after checks by doctors, following the rescue on Saturday afternoon.

He added: "The helicopter crew and everybody involved in the rescue were absolutely magnificent."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.