The tragic story of Russian diver Mikhail Falin who plunged into Bermuda's waters one night in July 1989 and was never seen again is being revisited by the sergeant who led the investigation.

Former Marine Police Sgt. Paul Cranage has set off to France for a reunion with Mr. Falin's family nearly 20 years after the Russian disappeared and was presumed dead.

Mr.Cranage's family became friends with the Falins when they made a trip to Bermuda at Christmas 1990 armed with an unlikely tale that Mr. Falin wasn't dead but was living a new life as a Robinson Crusoe character on a beach.

Russian psychics had given the Falins what turned out to be false hope: telling them the 31-year-old had swam to shore, lost his memory, grown a beard and long hair and moved into a Somerset beach home surrounded by palm trees.

A few days into their stay in Bermuda the heartbroken family were told such a scenario was more or less impossible as a stranger speaking a foreign language would not have gone unnoticed by Somerset residents.

No inquest was ever held, but Police believed Mr. Falin died as a result of a diving accident amid choppy waters.

As he prepared to fly out for the reunion this week, Mr. Cranage, who now works at Washington Mall Properties, recalled his difficulty respecting the family's beliefs while not wanting to give them false hope.

He told The Royal Gazette:"I was in the Marine Section at the time. I got a call from my boss that these three Russians had arrived at the airport and can I assist in showing them around."We became quite close. It was very difficult. I had to be very, very careful.

I couldn't just turn around and say: 'He's dead, go away'."I had to say there's no evidence that he swam ashore and in my heart of hearts I thought it was a diving accident."This is a cultural thing.

They strongly believe in the supernatural or psychics. It's part of the Russian culture."Even after their fruitless three-week search, the visitors wife Inna Falina, father Vitali Falin and Russian psychic Victor Balashov still refused to accept the diver was dead."I don't think they ever did," said Mr. Cranage.

"They certainly didn't believe it when they left Bermuda. They still had some hope."He doesn't know whether they still think he's alive, explaining: "It's one of the first questions I'll ask them when I see them in France.

I didn't want to ask them that by e-mail."Mr.Cranage says they have moved on with their lives, as Mrs. Falina works in property in the UK. The reunion has been organised by daughter Katia Falina, who now lives in France and tracked down Mr. Cranage by e-mail as she wanted to find out more about her father

.The Royal Gazette's front page article from December 24, 1990, includes this comment from Mrs. Falina:"We believe Mikhail is in Bermuda that he is living on an island in Somerset."He has lost his memory and he is very ill.

He has grown a beard and long hair and lives like Robinson Crusoe. We hope to find him here but we need help, support and advice."After several articles and pictures of my husband were published in our newspapers, many psychics responded.

They confirmed that Mikhail was alive and that he could be saved."This newspaper said the trio had arrived from New York after midnight with no return tickets, no entry visas to get them back into the US,and very little money.

They were held for several hours by Immigration officials before checking into Grotto Bay Beach Hotel.A follow-up story a few days later reported:"During an island-to-island boat ride in the West End, Mrs. Falina wept quietly, seeing for herself that her husband was not living as Mr. Balashov had prophesied."