An off-duty firefighter rescued his diving buddy yesterday morning after the man fell unconscious while looking for lobsters ten feet underwater.

Father-of-one David Burrows told The Royal Gazette he did not panic when he realised his pal — whom he knows only as George — had dropped his fishing tool and was shaking violently.

The pair were out for their weekly lobster dive about a mile off Dockyard with friend Bertie Lines when the emergency happened at about 11 a.m.

"I thought it was strange that he had dropped his 'noose' and when I looked at him he had blacked out somehow," said Mr. Burrows, of Somerset.

The 38-year-old added: "When I looked at him he was shaking violently and unconscious. I swam over to him, grabbed him and by that time he was about 15 feet under. I'm a person that doesn't panic, so I didn't panic. When you panic you have two people to rescue. I had to be calm but by the look on his face I said he wasn't making it. He was green. I got him to the surface."

Mr. Burrows alerted Mr. Lines, of Pembroke, who helped to get George, thought to be in his 40s, onto the swim platform of their boat. "He was unconscious and I was getting him ready to do CPR and he came to," said Mr. Burrows. "We got him onto the boat and headed for Dockyard. I couldn't tell you if it was a heart attack or stroke. He doesn't know what happened. He only remembers coming to on the swim platform."

Mr. Burrows said Marine Police met the boat just outside Dockyard and George was attended to by emergency medical technicians from Port Royal Fire Station.

He was taken by ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and his wife was informed.