Future King takes plunge with divers

A Hebden Bridge scuba diver swam to new depths and took a royal wave with The Duke of Cambridge to mark the handover of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) Presidency.
Emma Lawrence, third from left, of Wadsworth, Hebden Bridge, with the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Charles and fellow scuba divers at a special event to mark the handover of the presidency of the British Sub-Aqua ClubEmma Lawrence, third from left, of Wadsworth, Hebden Bridge, with the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Charles and fellow scuba divers at a special event to mark the handover of the presidency of the British Sub-Aqua Club
Emma Lawrence, third from left, of Wadsworth, Hebden Bridge, with the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Charles and fellow scuba divers at a special event to mark the handover of the presidency of the British Sub-Aqua Club

Emma Lawrence, 31, of Wadsworth Moor, alongside a small group of BSAC members joined The Duke to make a splash at the Oasis lido in London’s West End.

Emma, a member of BSAC’s London No.1 Branch, who has been diving for six years, said: “It’s been a wonderful event to be part of and I have enjoyed every minute. The Duke was a very warm, friendly and relaxed person who had a way of making us all feel at ease.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He was really keen to get involved and make the most of his scuba diving with us which he clearly enjoys and we realised pretty quickly on our dive with him that he is a very confident diver himself.

“It’s been a very positive day for BSAC too and I think having The Duke as our President will be fantastic for encouraging more young people into scuba diving and snorkelling because he is a great role model and ambassador for the sport.”

The Duke was announced as the President of BSAC, the UK’s governing body for snorkelling and scuba diving, in May and will follow in the footsteps of his father, who was in attendance at the event, and grandfather.

The Duke of Cambridge said: “It is a great honour to be here with my father to accept the role as President of the British Sub-Aqua Club, continuing the Presidency from my father and from my grandfather, The Duke of Edinburgh.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Like them, I can proudly say I learnt to dive with the Club, and share your passion for the sport and the underwater environment.

“I hope that one day my son, George, might follow in our footsteps. At the moment bathtime is a quite painful but I imagine as he gets a little bit older donning a snorkel and mask might calm him down.”

While The Duke enjoyed the water, The Prince of Wales detailed the success of BSAC through a series of storyboards showing its diamond jubilee celebrations, the recent underwater litterpick campaign and the Beachcomber and rock pooling session designed for children.

Related topics: