Two lobster divers had a narrow escape on Saturday evening after becoming separated from their boat around one mile west of Coney Island.

The two men had only been in the water for a few minutes at around 4.30 p.m. when the operator of the 14-foot dinghy they had jumped from lost sight of them in choppy seas and could not relocate them.

Even after anchoring and waiting 45 minutes there was still no sign of the two swimmers and faced with the onset of darkness he hurried ashore to the Grotto Bay hotel where he alerted Harbour Radio.

Fishing vessel Bones helped search in the darkness along with two marine Police boats who fired flares to help illuminate the wet-suit clad men in three to four foot seas.

However at 8.25 the two men, who The Royal Gazette understands are experienced swimmers who work at the Biostation called Harbour Radio from a payphone at Ferry Reach having made it ashore at Whale Bone Bay.