Loonliness of a Deep Sea Diver: David Beckett, My Autobiography

David Beckett has been a deep-sea diver for most of his adult life, working in the saturation chamber and plumbed to depths of more than 500 feet. He has had near-death experiences and has assisted with the deadliest peacetime shipwreck in Europe, the MS Estonia. The book is gritty, sometimes comical, and offers a unique glimpse into a life at sea.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 26 April 2021
Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd

Living in a box at the bottom of the sea for a month at a time has been David Beckett's passion, life, and work for all his adult life. Originally destined to become a pig farmer in the late 1960s, a twist of fate saw David become an air diver, and within a short span of time, he progressed to saturation diving. He would brush with death on more than one occasion, not least when helping to recover 47 bodies of the victims of the Sumburgh chinook disaster in Scotland's Shetland Islands and when called in to assist with the deadliest peacetime shipwreck in Europe, as the MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994 and claimed 852 lives. Amongst the depths of despair, there are many lighter moments, including treasure hunting in the Philippines, almost clinching a contract to salvage the bursar's safe from the Titanic, and surviving a 24-hour typhoon that brought 80-foot waves crashing down on his boat. The Loonliness of a Deep Sea Diver is gritty, sometimes comical, and offers a unique glimpse into a life at sea, much of it at the bottom.

Introduction:
David Beckett has been a deep-sea diver for over 30 years, spending most of his time at the bottom of the sea. In this essay, we will explore his life and work, including his experiences as a saturation diver and his encounters with death and disaster.

Early Life and Career:
David was born in the late 1960s and grew up on a farm in Scotland. He was destined to become a pig farmer, but a twist of fate saw him become an air diver instead. He quickly progressed to saturation diving, where he would spend long periods of time underwater.

Death and Disaster:
David has had many close calls with death during his career as a deep-sea diver. He has been involved in several accidents and incidents, including the Sumburgh chinook disaster in Scotland's Shetland Islands, where he helped to recover 47 bodies of the victims. He was also called in to assist with the deadliest peacetime shipwreck in Europe, as the MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994 and claimed 852 lives.

Lighter Moments:
Despite the dangers of his profession, David has had some lighter moments during his career. He has enjoyed treasure hunting in the Philippines and has almost clinched a contract to salvage the bursar's safe from the Titanic. He has also survived a 24-hour typhoon that brought 80-foot waves crashing down on his boat.

Conclusion:
David Beckett is a remarkable man who has dedicated his life to the depths of the sea. He has faced many dangers and disasters, but has also enjoyed some lighter moments. His story offers a unique glimpse into a life at sea, much of it at the bottom.

Weight: 314g
Dimension: 142 x 215 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781785318863