Two divers are reported to be missing, presumed dead, after failing to return to the surface after going down to explore a wreck off Whitsand Bay on the Rame Peninsula, and despite a rescue mission continuing into the night and involving teams from Looe, Plymouth and Newquay.

The divers are said to have been exploring the wreck of the HMS Scylla, a former Royal Navy vessel which was used to create an artificial reef in 2004. Three people were undertaking the club dive but then a problem arose – but while one diver was able to return to the surface to raise the alarm, the other two did not come up from the depths.

The BBC reports James Instance of the Falmouth Coast Guard as saying that they received a call from the club divers’ boat at 19:54 BST yesterday (Friday) and had immediately swung into action, enlisting the aid of the Newquay rescue helicopter, the Looe and Plymouth inshore lifeboats, Plymouth all-weather lifeboat, a police launch and other vessels.

The search continued into the early hours of today (Saturday) but without success, so after what he described as a traumatic experience for the rescue teams, they now strongly suspected that the pair have probably died, though that has not yet been officially confirmed.

Other divers were being asked to stay away from the wreck site while the recovery operation was under way, and since 2014 people have been advised not to enter the wreck itself due to hazardous conditions.