A university student drowned after being caught in an underwater vortex while diving off the south coast, an inquest heard today.
Emily Sherwin, 20, was diving with friends off Old Harry Rocks near Swanage, Dorset, when she got caught in a strong current 22ft below the surface on July 23 last year.
Her dive buddy Beth Pryor described how she too got caught in the vortex and tried to signal to her friend to return to the surface – but she didn’t respond.
Ms Pryor quickly lost contact and sight of Ms Sherwin before she made it to the surface.
A huge air and sea search was launched to try to find the missing student, but her body was never recovered.
She had turned 20 just one day earlier.
At an inquest into her death today, Dorset Coroner’s Court was told Ms Sherwin had just finished her first year studying marine conservation at Plymouth University, where she was also undertaking diving training.
She had returned home from university for the summer holidays last year and got a job at Parkstone Yacht Club near her home in Poole.
Ms Pryor had invited Ms Sherwin out on the dive as part of an eight-strong crew who head half a mile from Poole Quay to Old Harry Rocks.
