Birmingham tourist died after panicking during Egypt holiday dive

A tourist from Birmingham died during a diving course in Egypt after panicking and suddenly swimming up to the sea surface, an inquest has heard.

Andrew Maybury, 34, may have gotten into difficulties because of ‘deficiencies’ in his training, with instructors in Sharm el-Sheikh possibly failing to notice how nervous he was, a coroner said.

The hearing was told the finance manager from Halesowen, had swum to a depth of 10 metres during the first of four planned dives and was carrying out an exercise with his breathing regulator.

But he ‘panicked’ after possibly breathing in water and swam swiftly to the surface, suffering a fatal brain injury in the process.

The inquest heard there had been ‘deficiencies’ in the first part of his training in London and a delay in getting medical help when he emerged from the sea.

But the coroner added that although there had been delays in emergency services arriving, she could not say that Mr Maybury would have survived if they had come sooner.

She recorded a verdict of accidental death.

His father revealed that Andrew had planned to marry his partner, Kate, later this year.