A British scuba instructor who was said to have rescued 27 divers when they became stranded in rough seas at the Cirkewwa shore-diving site in Malta last year has received a distinguished bravery award.
The Royal Humane Society bronze medal, a principal award honouring those who put their own lives at great risk to save or attempt to save someone else, was conferred at a ceremony at Haberdashers Hall in London last week.
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Course director Marcus Kitching-Howe, 32, originally from Swainby in North Yorkshire, owns the PADI 5* instructor development centre ABC Diving Malta in St Paul’s Bay.
He had already left the water soon after mid-day on 26 March following a training dive on the Rozi wreck, aware of bad weather forecasts for the afternoon. As the winds suddenly picked up, he could see that the rough sea conditions were leaving those divers still in the water facing a hazardous exit.
Lifeline
Kitching-Howe tied a 12m length of rope to a handrail and returned to the water to help the divers haul themselves out.
The waves were making it difficult for many of them to reach the line but he stayed in the water for half an hour to assist them, warning others to get clear of the rocks and into open water because it would be safer for rescue boats to pick them up there.
When he became aware of one diver being kept afloat on his back but unresponsive he swam over and tried to resuscitate him, though he was unable to save the 45-year-old Dutch man.
“I am honoured to receive the award,” said Howe. “I just acted instinctively and it is a day I will never forget, especially the tragic loss of one of the divers who was in the water at the time.”
The Royal Humane Society was founded in London in 1774 by eminent physicians William Hawes and Thomas Cogan, who wanted to promote resuscitation techniques and to reward people who endangered their own lives to rescue others.
In its 250 years the society has reviewed more than 88,000 nominations and made well over 200,000 awards.
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