Commercial diver Chris Lemons was thrust into the spotlight after he miraculously survived being on the seabed some 275m down in the North Sea for 40 minutes after a freak accident cut him off from his surface-supplied gas, light and heat, and he will be talking about this incident on the Main Stage at the GO Diving Show (28 February / 1 March 2026).
Chris has been a commercial diver and supervisor for over 20 years, and currently specialises in deep sea saturation diving, operating almost exclusively in the oil and gas industry.
This highly specialised form of diving involves living in the claustrophobic confines of a decompression chamber for up to 28 days at a time, commuting daily to the seabed in a diving bell, and working at depths of up to 275m for six hours at a time.
In September of 2012, a freak failure of the dynamic positioning system of the vessel he was working under resulted in the umbilical which provides him with breathing gas, light and heat being severed completely. He was left on the seabed, in complete darkness, 100m below the surface, with only the five minutes of breathing gas he carried in the emergency tanks on his back, and no way to protect himself from the freezing temperatures.
It took his heroic rescuers over 40 minutes to come back and fetch him, and his miraculous survival story has baffled experts ever since.
His extraordinary story was subsequently immortalised in the hit Netflix/BBC documentary Last Breath, a version of which was developed into the 2025 Hollywood movie, starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu and Finn Cole.
Chris is joined on the Main Stage by Liz Parkinson, the Hollywood stunt performer and freediver who was heavily involved in the blockbusting Avatar movies, and TV favourite Steve Backshall.
They will be alongside TV presenter, adventurer and scientist Lizzie Daly, who has been everywhere from the bowels of the Amazon to the harsh terrain of the Arctic. And, of course, stunt performer, tech diver and all-round Action Man Andy Torbet is back as MC, as well as giving presentations on stage too.
The GO Diving Show 2026
As well as the Main Stage line-up, the dedicated stages – the UK Stage, the Tech Stage and the Inspiration/Photo Stage – also boast a fantastic array of speakers, ranging from old favourites like tech gurus Paul Toomer and Mark Powell, underwater photographers Lawson Wood and Anne & Phil Medcalf, to new faces such as snorkel pros Emma and Gordon Taylor, the Great Scuba Drive duo Rico Anselmi and Sophie Shields, underwater archaeologist Duncan Ross, extreme freediver Nick Fazah, and tech experts Barry McGill, Ahmed Gabr, and Dominic Robinson.
Each of the speakers on the dedicated stages are only appearing on one of the days, so with so many different options to choose from over the Saturday and Sunday, why not make a weekend of it?
There is plenty to keep you occupied. As well as the superlative array of speakers over the weekend, there are also a host of interactive features, including a VR technical wreck dive, the Nautical Archaeology Society’s ‘shipwreck’ to learn survey techniques, breath-hold workshops with NoTanx Freediving, the marine biology zone with Just One Ocean, and new for 2026, your chance to take part in research with Imperial College London, which has been conducting various studies into diving.
All these attractions are scattered among an ever-increasing array of stands from tourist boards, manufacturers, training agencies, resorts, liveaboards, tour operators, dive centres, retailers, artists and much more. Get inspired for your next dive adventure, check out the latest gear, and look at where your training will take you next.
Get your tickets now – save 30%!
Tickets are available now, priced at £20 for a day ticket, and £35 for a weekend pass. There is also the option of a VIP Pass, which includes a weekend pass plus 12 issues of Scuba Diver magazine (Magazine delivery – UK mainland only), and a GO Diving Show Dive Team T-shirt.
As always, complimentary parking is included with all tickets, and under 16s go free – bring the family and let the kids dive into the fun with our try-dive pool.
Book your ticket now and save money – use code divernet_30 and you will get 30% off the ticket price!
See you there!
