An expert diver from Cannock has been killed following an attack of the bends whilst exploring the Titanic’s sister ship in the Aegean Sea near Greece.

Carl Spencer, aged 37, from Tutbury Close, Cannock, was named today by the Greek merchant marine ministry after he died during a expedition to explore the Britannic, which sank in 1916.

Mr Spencer was flown by military helicopter to Greece’s naval hospital in Athens but he did not regain consciousness.

It is thought he was part of a National Geographic crew exploring the Britannic and he was said to be devoted to providing new angles to the Titanic story.

The bends can occur when divers surface too quickly and nitrogen forms bubbles in their blood supply. Mr Spencer, who is married to wife Victoria, was well known for his diving adventures and was part of the team who raised the body of world water-speed record holder Donald Campbell from the waters of Lake Coniston.

After beginning his diving career at the age of five Mr Spencer has taken part in diving expeditions around the globe.

He has been to the depths of the Atlantic ocean to see the real Titanic, travelled to Fiji on a project with Australian diving legends Ron and Valerie Taylor, during which he met Titanic movie director James Cameron and he has been part of documentaries on the ill-fated ship.

He previously joined a dive to video the RMS Carpathia, which picked up 705 survivors as the Titanic went down in 1912 but was sunk six years later by a German U-boat.

The Britannic Foundation, headed by British businessman Simon Mills, wants to preserve the ship and foundation member Mark Chirnside said: “I understand there is an expedition going on at the moment. I think it’s about 120 metres down and so it’s quite a tough dive and you need really qualified people to go down.”

According to the website of the Bluebird Project, which is restoring Donald Campbell’s ill-fated craft the website said: “Carl’s initial involvement in the project was as a bottom diver carrying out preliminary visual and video surveys of the wreck.”

The 53,000-ton Britannic was launched on February 26 1914. It was sunk on November 21 1916 after being struck by a single mine blast.

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