A 61-year-old man has become the third British tourist to die while diving off the island of Lanzarote.
The holidaymaker suffered a cardiac arrest after becoming unwell while visiting the underwater Atlantic Museum, just after 10am on Wednesday.
He had been rushed to dry-land by a rescue boat, but passed away before paramedics reached him.
Local reports said the man had been diving with a local club and was with his schoolboy nephew at the time.
A 61-year-old man has become the third British tourist to die while diving off Lanzarote (pictured, the island’s Playa Blanca resort)
A Civil Guard source said the diver, named only by his initials L.G, had been around 40 feet underwater when he became unwell.
The tragedy was the third this year involving a British diver in the Canary Islands.
Retired soldier John Walker, 54, from Consett, County Durham, died near the same spot while he was preparing to visit the Atlantic Museum, on September 16.
A week later keep-fit enthusiast Justine Barringer, 44, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after getting into difficulties while diving off Veneguera Beach in Gran Canaria.
Friend Veronica Clinton took to Facebook after the tragedy to say: ‘I have just received some very sad news.
‘A friend of the family, Justine Barringer, has lost her life scuba diving in Gran Canaria.
‘She was young and in good shape. I find it impossible to believe. She was the life and soul of parties. Just 44 years old.’
The latest Brit to lose his life while diving is thought to be an ex-pat. Like Mr Walker he has been described as an experienced diver.
John Walker, 54, from Consett, County Durham, died while he was preparing to visit the Atlantic Museum, on September 16
It is not known where in the UK he is originally from.
Tests will now take place to determine the cause of death although police are understood to be looking at the possibility it may be related to possible cardiovascular problems he is said to have suffered from.
A spokesman for a local emergency services coordination centre said in a statement: ‘We received a call from a volunteer rescue association called EMERLAN to say that a boat from a dive centre was taking a diver who wasn’t responding out of the water.
‘The required emergency response was immediately activated.
‘Ambulance staff confirmed the patient was in cardiac arrest when they arrived at the scene and performed CPR on him without success. He was pronounced dead at the scene.’
The Atlantic Museum, which was officially opened in January, is Europe’s first underwater museum.
It features more than 300 life-size human figures by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor.