British Diver, 61, Dies on Zenobia Wreck Off Larnaca, Cyprus, as Cause Remains Unknown
A 61-year-old British man was found unconscious on a group dive on the Cyprus wreck and died in hospital. Authorities have given no cause, and his name has not been released.
Friday, November 13, 2026/2 min read
A 61-year-old British diver died on Tuesday after being found unconscious during a group dive on the Zenobia wreck off Larnaca, Cyprus. The cause of death has not been established, and his identity has not been publicly confirmed. This report sets out only what the authorities and named sources have said.
The Larnaca Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received an alert at 10.10 a.m. about an unconscious diver in the area of the wreck, the Cyprus Mail reported on the day. The national search and rescue plan, Nearchos, was activated, and a port and marine police speedboat and an ambulance were sent.
What happened on the Zenobia on 10 November?
According to The Scuba News, which cites the rescue centre and Cypriot media, the diver was with a group and had been taking underwater photographs. When the group realised he was missing, they went back to where he was last seen and found him motionless on the seabed at slightly greater depth. Earlier local reporting put the depth at about 30 metres.
The group brought him up and began CPR on their boat. He was transferred to the police vessel and then to ambulance staff, and was taken to Larnaca General Hospital, where his death was confirmed. The Cyprus Mail confirms the hospital and the pronouncement of death.
What is known about the cause?
Nothing has been confirmed. Nikos Nikolaou, president of the Cyprus Dive Centres Association, said a sudden medical episode was among the possibilities but that there was insufficient information to say what had happened, The Scuba News reports. He also said the diver had completed the pre-dive medical declaration without reporting any health problems. No equipment fault or other cause has been confirmed, and the investigation will determine what the record shows.
The diver is reported to have had about 30 years of experience. That is all that is public about him, and this piece does not go further.
What is the Zenobia wreck?
The Zenobia is a Swedish-built roll-on, roll-off ferry that sank in June 1980 on her maiden voyage, and lies on her port side about 1.5 kilometres offshore. The Scuba News describes her as about 172 metres long, with more than 100 trucks aboard when she sank, her upper sections starting around 16 metres and the seabed at about 42 metres.
Another diver, a Greek Cypriot man, died at the site on 7 March 2026, the report notes, and a British diver died there in March 2014. The report stresses that those deaths should not be read as evidence of a common cause or a specific safety problem at the wreck, and nor should this one.
This is journalism, not instruction. Training for wreck diving, depth and medical fitness belongs with a certified instructor and agency. The next information is likely to come from the Cypriot investigation, and this report will not guess at it.
Published in The Outspoken Digest
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