Hamilton dad Derek dies after diving Firth of Clyde shipwreck

Oct 6 2011 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

THE FUNERAL of a Hamilton man killed in a diving tragedy takes place today (Friday).

Derek Munro suffered 'the bends' following a dive in the Firth of Clyde on Sunday, September 25.

He and a friend had been diving the wreck of the Kintyre which lies on the sea bed between Wemyss Bay and Inverkip when they got into difficulties.

The fifty-year-old from Fairhill, who is married with children, was workshop manager at Strathclyde Autotune in Burnbank where he had worked for more than two decades.

His family and work colleagues were too upset to speak about the tragedy this week.

However, a statement placed at the front counter of Strathclyde Autotune’s premises informing customers of his passing spoke of their deep regret and sadness.

Signed Peter and Moira McInally and staff, it read: “Derek has worked with our company for over 22 years and was a much valued and vital member of our staff, but also a valued friend who will be sorely missed.

“Derek showed a genuine and true work ethic to this company and to all our customers and we will strive to continue to offer to all our customers the services that Derek worked hard for.

“We are unable to make a media statement to pay tribute to Derek due to his family’s wishes for privacy at this present time, but we feel we need to personally notify our customers about the tragic loss to Strathclyde Autotune.

“In Derek’s honour we have established a collection fund box on behalf of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute in his memory.

“We would like to thank everyone for all the kind thoughts and gestures shown to us at this tragic time and have forwarded everyone’s deepest sympathy to Derek’s family.”

Mr Munro and his friend had entered the water from the shore.

They were spotted 200 yards offshore around 1pm by a yacht crew who logged a mayday message with Clyde Coastguard.

Largs lifeboat and Largs Coastguard Rescue team were alerted.

Mr Munro was winched on board a Royal Navy helicopter which had been on exercise.

He was treated in the helicopter on the way to Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital.

However, he was pronounced dead when the helicopter arrived there.

His 48-year-old friend was taken to a decompression chamber in Cumbrae and remained there until the Sunday night. He was then transferred to hospital in Cumbrae and released the following day.

The Kintyre was a small steamship built in Greenock in 1868 to carry both cargo and passengers.

The ship sank after a collision with another vessel while out on sea trials.

A Hamilton diver told the Advertiser this week that, in common with other Clyde shipwrecks, visibility on the dive can be very poor.

Swimming to the Kintyre site from the shore and diving, he added, posed more risks because divers would use up more oxygen than they would diving from a boat.

Decompression sickness, or the bends, is caused when nitrogen in body tissue turns into bubbles during a quick ascent.

It can cause joint pain, rashes, paralysis and death.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a recompression chamber is used to treat the condition.

lMr Munro’s funeral is due to take place at South Lanarkshire Crematorium tomorrow (Friday) at 10.15am.