Freediver saves the day
Freediver Angus Hosking became an unlikely hero after a couple lost their engagement ring at the bottom of England’s largest lake.
When couple Rebecca Chaukria and Viki Patel lost their diamond ring on the end of a jetty on Lake Windermere, in northwest England, the couple tried to recover it themselves but only made matters worse.
The couple were taking photographs when the ring slipped off Chaukria’s finger. They initially tried to use the photographer’s tripod to reach the ring but only pushed it further into the mud at the bottom of the lake.
Patel then tried to rescue it but couldn’t see a thing in the murky, “absolutely freezing” water.
Having heard of the couple’s plight from a friend, Hosking rushed to the jetty to help as soon as he finished work.
Along with helping clean rubbish from the lake for three and a half years, the 21-year-old also established the group Lake District Diving with friend Declan Turner to tackle the problem.
This wasn’t the first time he had been asked to retrieve valuables either, and he told CNN he knew it could take anywhere from minutes to hours to find it.
“As soon as I put my head under the water the visibility was absolutely terrible so it didn’t fill me with confidence. I couldn’t see anything,” Hosking said.
“It was just silt - really fine mud - even if you drop a penny it goes straight to the bottom,” he added.
Fortunately, the diver was able to scoop up the ring after 20 minutes of searching and a few false positives, with the help of an underwater metal detector.
Patel described Hosking as a “brilliant guy” and said his fiancee was “speechless” when the ring was returned.
“Now she’s never taking it off,” he joked.
Hosking said Patel showered him with gratitude.
“He just kept on saying [‘thank you’], it was brilliant,” he said.
Patel has planned to propose on five different occasions, which had all been scrapped due to coronavirus restrictions.
Patel also said he would love to invite Hosking to their wedding in August if restrictions allow.
Image credit: Angus Hosking