Disabled Divers Achieve Historic 40m Scuba Dive

Divers from Lancashire have achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first disabled pair to complete a scuba dive to a depth of 40 meters (131 feet). Shaun Gash, who is paraplegic, and Mohammed Salim Patel, who is blind, dedicated months to preparing for this challenge, which took place at Um Sid in Egypt. Under the guidance of their instructor, Curly, the two divers remained underwater for an hour, reaching the 40-meter mark, which represents the maximum permissible depth for recreational diving. “We want to spread the word that diving is for every body, for every ability,” Shaun stated. Curly, an Egyptian diving instructor affiliated with Morecambe Area Divers, provided the training for the duo. This marked the first instance of a blind individual and a paraplegic amputee diving together. As part of the demanding challenge, which necessitated considerable skill and preparation, Salim, a BBC journalist, and Shaun, an adventurer, also explored the Cave and Cavern Canyon dive sites. Shaun commented, “Myself and Salim have had to do the same practical and theoretical training as anybody else.” He added, “The difference is we’ve got a disability – but we haven’t, everybody’s got a different ability.” “You’ve got somebody with legs that are powering away and someone with arms that are powering away and together we are like V6 engines.” The data from their dive has been compiled and submitted to the Guinness Book of Records for official verification. “The record has been set,” Salim declared. “We did 40m and we were down there for 60 minutes.” He continued, “We’ve done it. We’ve done it in the Red Sea and it couldn’t have been possible without all of these people.” Instructor Curly described it as “a big achievement for me and also for every single one working with me”. He further commented, “It was really great. My main thing is honestly not the record, my main thing is seeing their faces after each dive.” Clarification 28 November: This report has been updated to specify the duration and site of the dive. For more content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.