Being thrown in at the deep end to help save lives

7:35am Sunday 6th July 2008

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IT CAN mean the difference between life and death after a crash at sea. Costing more than £100,000, a new underwater escape trainer for powerboat racers, helicopter pilots and boat owners has opened at the Andark Diving and Watersports Centre in Swanwick.

One of only six in the country, the yellow dunker' plunges people into a swimming pool before turning upside down to simulate a crash on the water.

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Watch the dunker on video here

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Trainees must take a deep breath as the water level rises quickly above their head before releasing their seatbelt and swimming through the nearest window to safety.

The Hampshire and Isle ofWight Air Ambulance flew in especially to see the opening of the new dunker' which was performed by Southampton's champion powerboat racer Shelley Jory.

Shelley, who demonstrated how to escape from the dunker, said she owed her life to the training she received at the centre five years ago in their previous underwater escape trainer.

Shelley, said: "The Andark dunker actually saved my life in 2003. I had quite a horrendous powerboat accident in the Solent three weeks after I had the training in this dunker.

"I crashed and sunk a V24 powerboat in a canopy just like this one and quite honestly I can say that if I hadn't done that dunk test I wouldn't be here today.

"It's not easy. I've done the training six or seven times now but it can still really freak you out.

"You've got to calm yourself down while you are sitting in there and be perfectly aware of where everything is and just breathe as if you are sitting on your sofa at home."

Andy Goddard, a director of the Andark centre, said: "Anybody that flies off-shore in a helicopter has to go through a dunker like this. But there's also lots of people who go on the water that could very easily end up underwater like power boaters, performance racing yachts and even stunt drivers.

"Compared to our last dunker it's much more of a real experience."

Southampton Solent University's Warsash Maritime Academy students also use the facility for sea survival, offshore survival courses and life raft training. For more information visit andark.co.uk.