REFUSING interview requests, ‘miracle diver’ Matthew Harvey tells his story in a statement released for the family through police ‘I went down to Fermain Bay early Saturday morning to dive. Shortly into my dive, while I was on the surface, I was struck by a boat. I lost my mask and had my regulator knocked out.

I was some distance out into the mouth of the bay at this time. I must have lost consciousness because the next thing I remember I was quite some distance offshore and caught in the tide running south/south-west past Jerbourg.

I had lost my weight belt and had to drop my scuba tank as I passed Jerbourg.

The tide was running out to sea and I started finning on my back as hard as I could across the current but couldn’t make any headway as I was very buoyant without weights or scuba tank. I was taken out several miles by the current before the tide reached slack and then turned back to run north/north-east.

I continued to swim across the flow trying to reach the south coast. I was completely exhausted and eventually hit the south coast late on Saturday afternoon.

I dragged myself ashore into a gulley and collapsed into some rocks and presumably passed out. I know now that I was among the rocks in the gulley for Saturday night, Sunday and Sunday night, semi-conscious, but at the time thought I had only been there one night.

Despite being exceedingly cold when I left the water on Saturday, I had warmed up by the time I woke up on Monday morning.

I had not recovered, however, as I had not eaten for two days and had no energy left at all to try and climb the cliffs. I had not been aware of any rescuers looking for me and felt my best chance was to wait for the tide running back north/north-east in the afternoon.

I believed I had come ashore a little way west of Petit Port so by pushing out into the tide I could drift around and with a short swim come across on the beach.

I hadn’t eaten and hadn’t recovered my strength and felt that it was my best chance. Unfortunately, I hadn’t come ashore where I thought. I was, in fact, east of Petit Port and when I struggled out into the tide, found that no bay came into view.

Instead, to my horror, I was taken past Jerbourg again and out to sea in the other direction. I was too weak to swim properly and was taken out towards the Russel but managed to make a little headway swimming across the current.

I stopped finning after a few hours when my energy ran out and I just drifted.

I must have lost consciousness again from exhaustion. I must have drifted out around the east coast of the island for the best part of the afternoon before being spotted by a visiting yacht which was heading northwards on its way into St Peter Port Harbour.

I understand I was found around the Anfre rock. I do not remember being found. My next recollection is coming to in hospital later that night.

My wife and I and our families want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who mounted a search for me while I was missing. The CI Air Search, lifeboat, Flying Christine and police diving teams and particularly to family and friends who searched the entire east coast looking for me. I understand that dozens and dozens of people from the local diving and fishing community volunteered their time to search for me – all organised by family and friends.

I ask that we be allowed to recover from this ordeal.

It has been as hard for many of those involved as it was for me and we all want to get back to our normal lives.

I will be going to see all those people who joined in the search to thank them in person because all their efforts have meant an immense amount to all of us.’