AN experienced scuba diver from Malvern died after attempting to help his friend who had encountered problems descending onto a Red Sea wreck.

Robert Fox, aged 43, of Sling Lane, suffered a fatal heart attack which may have been brought on by the stress of the incident on January 16, Worcestershire’s Coroner’s Court was told.

His body was later found near the anchor of the El Tur Arish wreck, off the coast of Port Safaga, Egypt. Mr Fox, who worked as an off-shore welding inspector, was one of four divers, accompanied by a guide from Orca Dive Club, who set off by boat from Safaga.

His ‘dive buddy’ Mick O’Brien had the wrong weights fitted and descended at a much faster speed than Mr Fox, landing on the sea bed about 35 metres down. Mr Fox gave a spare oxygen feed to Mr O’Brien, who then ascended at speed to the surface ending up a long way from the dive boat.

Assistant deputy coroner Victor Round said: “[Mr O’Brien] was found to be in serious risk of the bends. Steps were taken to get him to shore. “It was quite a long time before anyone realised [Mr Fox] was not in the boat and missing.”

The group’s dive leader went down to the anchor of the wreck, where Mr O’Brien had reported last seeing Mr Fox, but could not locate him. The search for Mr Fox’s body was hampered by bad weather but he was finally found under the wreck, by the anchor, on January 20. His suit and equipment were all intact and his mask was still on his face and filled with air.

Dr Lyndsae Wheen, a pathologist specialising in diving matters, submitted evidence to the inquest, on Monday, March 8. She found a blood clot had broken off and triggered an irregular heart beat.

The coroner said: “A stressful incident can trigger the movement of a plaque like this. “It can only be speculation, but going to the aid of a buddy in distress while diving may be that stressful incident.”

The coroner concluded that Mr Fox died of natural causes.