Bravery Award for UMC Divers

Two UMC diving supervisors have been presented with a Naval Base Commanders commendation for an act of outstanding bravery following an incident at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard late last year.

Commodore Amjad Hussain presents bravery awards to UMC diving supervisors Dave Thatcher and James Jee, with UMC director Peter Stevenson in attendance.

A UMC diving team was present for an underwater engineering operation on HMS Invincible when, independent of the diving operation, a dockyard crane fell across the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, trapping and seriously injuring its operator.

Using portable rope access equipment designed by UMC for the eventuality of having to lift an injured diver from the water, onsite UMC diving supervisors James Jee and Dave Thatcher rapidly deployed the system to gain access to the crane operator and were first to administer first aid, without due regard for their own safety.

In presenting the awards at Portsmouth Naval Base, Commodore Amjad Hussain echoed the wording on the commendation, which said, ‘Your professionalism, quick thinking and bravery on that day were an excellent reflection of your training and selfless personal qualities.’

Such commendations are normally reserved for service personnel only. However, in the opinion of the Royal Navy, on this occasion the actions of the UMC team warranted particular attention.

MJ Information No: 20758