A DIVER presumed drowned is alive and well after being pulled from the sea last night. Matthew Harvey, 35, was rescued by a passing yacht at about 7pm not far from where he entered the 17C water at about 9am on Saturday.

Mr Harvey’s father, Dan, said this morning that hopes had been fading until they received a call from police last evening saying a diver had been recovered from the sea and asking them to go to the hospital.

‘After more than 50 hours in the water, two nights and no food, the line becomes a little thin,’ he said.

‘There was a realisation that a long length of time had passed since he was last seen and for all we knew he might have died five minutes after entering the water.’

The crew of the yacht radioed the St Peter Port signal station to say they were bringing the diver in and an ambulance was waiting at the harbour to transfer the casualty to hospital.

Mr Harvey senior and his family headed for the hospital not knowing whether the recovered diver was their son. By the time they got there he had been identified as Matthew.

‘His physical condition was quite good but he had trouble because of his severe exhaustion. He recognised us but was unable to communicate.’

Mr Harvey senior said the family had taken a pragmatic view of the whole affair. There had been no panic but news of his son’s rescue had prompted a few tears.

Matthew Harvey was transferred to a general ward at about 10pm yesterday. This morning he was sitting up in bed and enjoying tea and toast for breakfast, said his father.

Mr Harvey senior said all of his son’s family and extended family would be forever indebted to those who took part in the search for his son and wished to thank them from the bottom of their hearts.

Mr Harvey junior is a social history officer with the Guernsey Museum Service.

Director of heritage services Peter Sarl – who had earlier paid tribute to his colleague – today told how he heard last night’s good news.

‘Someone told me that they thought he had been found but it wasn’t confirmed until the police called me, which was some time after 8pm,’ he said.

‘My first feeling was one of disbelief as to how anybody could survive in the water for such a long time then one of overwhelming joy.’

Mr Harvey junior was taken from the yacht to the harbour in a rigid inflatable boat.

An ambulance spokesman said the casualty had a head injury, though it was not thought to be serious.

A four-strong police dive team yesterday scoured the Fermain area from 9am, calling off the search at 4pm.

With little hope of finding the diver alive, the search was not due to resume today, although it might have done so later in the week.