Duo make history in 40m disabled diving first

Two divers from Lancashire are celebrating after making history as the first disabled duo to scuba dive to a depth of 40m (131ft).

Paraplegic Shaun Gash and Mohammed Salim Patel, who is blind, have spent months preparing for the challenge, which they undertook at Um Sid in Egypt.

Guided by their instructor Curly, the pair spent an hour at the deepest depth any recreational diver is allowed to go.

"We want to spread the word that diving is for every body, for every ability," Shaun said.

The pair were trained by Curly, an Egyptian diving instructor at Morecambe Area Divers, and it was the first time a blind person and a paraplegic amputee had dived together.

Salim and BBC journalist and adventurer Shaun were able to dive in a cavern and a cave as part of the challenge, which required significant skill and preparation.

“Myself and Salim have had to do the same practical and theoretical training as anybody else," Shaun said.

"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 diving data has been collected and sent to the Guinness Book of Records for official verification.

“The record has been set,” Salim said. "We did 40m and we were down there for 60 minutes.

“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 said it had been "a big achievement for me and also for every single one working with me".

“It was really great," he said. "My main thing is honestly not the record, my main thing is seeing their faces after each dive.”

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