The Sunderland man who won a royal accolade for his deep sea life saving heroics
Wearside is filled with heroes - but one of them went the extra distance to save a life.
It was back in October 1990 when Sunderland man Graham Herbertson received the Queen’s award for bravery.
It came after he rescued a colleague trapped at the bottom of the North Sea in 1988.
A letter from Buckingham Palace
He got an official communiqué from Buckingham Palace confirming that he had been commended for this heroic act.
Graham was 34 at the time when he was working for an Aberdeen diving contractors in May 1988.
He and his diving partner Dave Gill became trapped on the sea bed at a depth of around 400ft.
Life-giving gas was escaping
The pair were working on a pipeline when load bearing wires snapped and whipped them off their feet, leaving then disorientated.
When Graham came to his senses he saw that his partner’s umbilical cord’ was caught and life-giving gas was escaping.
The thick umbilical cord provides breathing gas, communication wires and hot water to keep the diver’s body temperature at a safe level.
Reluctant hero praised his diving partner
To save his mate Graham knew he had to get him to the safety of the diving bell.
Sadly he had to give up diving three months later when his leg was shattered.
Graham shrugged off all the praise and was keen to commend his diving partner: “He was dead cool as any other person would have lost their head.”
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