When four friends went diving in Liverpool Bay last November they checked the weather and had all the right equipment, but a change in the weather, a faulty VHP radio and a marker buoy which didn't behave as it should conspired to put them in a very difficult situation...

It should have been a very straight forward dive in Liverpool Bay for Peter Millar and his three friends - experienced divers with both diving and boat-handling qualifications.

They had checked the weather and planned to make a short, 30 minute dive - during slack water - on some wreckage they had located previously.

They were running a little behind their schedule when they launched and, as they couldn't make contact with the Coastguard for a radio check at the launch site, they decided to wait until they arrived at the dive position - but unfortunately they still couldn't get through.

The three divers entered the water at about 1045, leaving the fourth as boathandler, and went down about 14m with no discernable tide running.

They released a surface marker buoy, which floats to the surface to indicate the divers' position, but after about ten minutes decided that the visibility was too poor and that they would surface again - which they did with no problems.

They were only about 50m away from their support boat, but the marker buoy was not standing upright and the weather had changed - with an increase in sea state and a hail storm reducing visibility - making them impossible to see.

The tide had now started to run and despite signalling with torches, whistles and a strobe the three men lost visual contact with the boat after about 30 minutes.

They made for the nearest buoy, Liverpool Bar Light, where they were picked up by New Brighton's Atlantic 75, which had been alerted when the support boat managed to contact another vessel with VHP. Hoylake's Mersey and a helicopter had also been searching the area.

• Peter Millar enclosed a generous donation with his report.New Brighton Return of Service Atlantic 75 B721 10 November 1996 Cause of Service: Divers reported missing Wind: W, Force 2 to 3 Sea State: 3 Launched:1232 On responding to a radio page from Liverpool Coastguard Rock Light was launched and proceeded to Liverpool Bar to a report of three divers missing.

During the search with RAF Valley helicopter and Southport Rescue the lifeboat, due to an ebbing tide, searched to the west of the dive boat and located three divers safe on the surface at Liverpool Bar Light. As they were seen to be none the worse they were taken to the dive boat and put aboard.

Back at station: 1437.