THE parents of a scuba diver have thanked an instructor for risking his life to try to save their son.

James Henry Askew was on a course at the National Diving Centre, at Stoney Cove, near Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, when he went missing on January 24, 2009.

The 35-year-old, from Stockton, was given first aid at the scene and taken by helicopter to hospital, where he died, Leicester Coroner’s Court was told.

The inquest heard that instructor Graham Rowntree re-entered the flooded quarry after realising that Mr Askew had not returned to the surface following a training dive.

Speaking after the hearing, Ann and James Albert Askew thanked Mr Rowntree and said their son had died doing the sport he loved.

In a statement, they said: “Following the inquest into our son’s death, which we have sat and listened to throughout, we would like to express a simple thank you to all those people that were involved in the attempt to save our son’s life.

“We would like to thank Mr Rowntree for putting his own life in danger to attempt to rescue our son, and the other rescue divers and emergency services.

“James died doing the sport he loved. Nothing can bring him back to his family, but we hope that the findings of this inquest will put in place actions from other divers and diving agencies to prevent further deaths.”

Mr Askew, of Mucker Grove, Fairfield, Stockton, was taking part in a deep dive speciality course when the accident happened.

He, his father and another diver, Paul Blakeburn, were being led by Mr Rowntree, who ran the Olympic Scuba diving school in Durham, when the accident happened.

In his evidence, Mr Rowntree told how on reaching the bottom of the quarry both Askews had disappeared, leaving just himself and Mr Blakeburn.

Mr Askew’s father appeared shortly afterwards and signalled that his son was okay, had suffered a problem with his air regulator and returned to the surface.

However, the jury of four men and five women said they believed Mr Askew never made it to the surface.

They said: “We believe the deceased became separated from the group between 22 metres and 35 metres.”

A spokeswoman from the Health and Safety Executive said an investigation was ongoing and that she could not comment further on the case.