A British diver who was part of an underwater crew that was filming the wreck of the HMHS Britannic off the island of Kea (Tzia) for National Geographic magazine died yesterday from suspected decompression sickness.

The 37-year-old diver was taken by helicopter from the small Cycladic island near Lavrion to the Greek Navy hospital in Athens after losing consciousness, but doctors there were unable to revive him.

The Athens News Agency named the man as Carl Spencer, an experienced diver who led an expedition in 2003 to film the Britannic, a former White Star ocean liner and sister ship to the Titanic, which was turned into a floating hospital in World War I, but which sunk off Kea in 1916 after hitting a German mine.

A 17-member National Geographic crew had been given permission to film the wreck between May 19 and 31, according to the Merchant Marine Ministry.