dramatic mercy mission after he suffered the bends.

The St. David's resident became sick after diving with a group from Bermuda in the Solomon Islands.

He was taken by air-ambulance to Australia to be treated in a recompression chamber.

And after a worrying wait, his friends finally received the news they had been hoping for...Mr. Whayman had pulled through the ordeal.

One friend, Mr. Ian Murdoch, said: "It was all quite traumatic and dramatic at the time.'' It is understood Mr. Whayman began experiencing severe problems about an hour after the dive.

Back in Bermuda and recovering well from his ordeal, Mr. Whayman was reluctant to comment when approached by The Royal Gazette .

"I'm fine now, and I don't really want to say anything -- at least not at this stage.'' Friends, however, confirmed he suffered the bends and was flown by air-ambulance to Australia.

Mr. Whayman, who has dived before, went to the Solomon Islands for a two-week holiday with his wife and four others.

They included Bermuda residents Mr. Stephen Cook, Ms Sue Bendel, and Mr.

Murdoch and his wife.

Their trip was arranged through the company of world famous diver Mr. Chris Newbert.

The group and six others went to the dive site on the boat, Bilikiki , some of them taking underwater shots.

"It was wonderful, all very primitive and very basic,'' Mr. Cook said of the Solomon Islands.

Mr. Cook added the underwater photographs may be put on display at some stage.

Of the bends scare, however, he said: "Yes, there was some drama, but I think I should let Russell Whayman speak about that himself.'' Mr. Murdoch described the Solomon Islands as a "beautiful place to visit''.

"We were all experienced divers and all friends,'' he said.

Like the others, Mr. Murdoch did not wish to comment in detail on Mr.

Whayman's ordeal, which occurred about three weeks ago.

Mr. Murdoch, however, spoke of the worrying wait for news of Mr. Whayman's progress in the recompression chamber.

"There was quite a sombre atmosphere.'' He believed Mr. Whayman was flown by air-ambulance to Townsville in Australia -- a distance of about 1,000 miles.

The bends is a non-technical term for decompression sickness (DCS), which develops after a dive when tiny bubbles of nitrogen form in the blood-stream.

Medical experts say divers, especially those who go down two or three times a day, are increasing their chances of complications, and need to be around for each other.

In a recompression chamber, a diver is subjected to pressure, as though being resubmerged, in order to force the nitrogen to dissolve again.

Then he or she is brought slowly back to land-pressure. Sometimes more than one treatment is required.

Signs of DCS normally appear between about two and 24 hours.

Symptoms vary, but the most common is joint pain. More serious cases can affect the central nervous system, with feelings of tingling, numbness or paralysis.

Embolisms and swelling in certain areas are two other possible effects.

Bermuda has a recompression chamber at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital staffed by volunteers.