A seasoned British diver tragically lost his life while trying to recover a submerged vehicle from Lake Erie in Canada.

Gary Smith, a 67-year-old originally from Manchester, was engaged in commercial diving operations at Erieau Marina, Ontario, when the incident took place on March 18.

Smith, who was well-versed in underwater tasks, was in the process of fastening cables to a sunken vehicle in the marina’s boat channel when he vanished beneath the surface around 11:30 a.m.

In response, a coordinated search effort was launched, involving multiple agencies, including the Chatham-Kent Police Service, the Chatham-Kent Fire Department, and specialized units from the Ontario Provincial Police’s underwater search and recovery team.

The Chatham-Kent Police Service stated that the challenging conditions in the channel necessitated the use of specialized equipment and resources to aid in the search efforts.

Smith was expected to resurface but when he did not, he was promptly reported missing.

His body was recovered by dive teams the following morning.

The vehicle he had been working to retrieve had entered the channel months earlier, in November.

Gary Smith, 67, originally from Manchester, had been working as a commercial diver at Erieau Marina in Ontario when the incident unfolded on March 18

Although those inside managed to escape at the time, winter icing conditions had delayed efforts to recover it until now.

Police have not yet released further details surrounding the circumstances of the tragedy.

Tributes have begun pouring in for the man who was born and raised in Manchester before he moved to Canada in his twenties.

In an obituary posted online by McKinlay Funeral Homes Ltd, his loved ones described him as an ‘avid lifelong Manchester United fan’.

Smith ‘trained countless divers over the years with a steady hand and a deep commitment to safety,’ the obituary said.

The post added: ‘Gary loved his entire family fiercely. He also loved dogs, the open road, the water, and travels with Polly and friends. He was an avid diver, motorcyclist, and traveller, always seeking the next horizon. 

‘He built friendships everywhere he went and will be deeply missed by his circle of friends, his diving and motorcycling communities, and the many people he connected with at the gym, the local pubs, the Kent Club, and in Erieau. 

‘One of the greatest joys of his life was celebrating his son Stephen’s wedding last year and helping to prepare his new home, a time that filled him with pride, gratitude, and joy.

‘Gary died as he lived with courage, curiosity, and unrelenting determination. Though his passing is tragic, it came in the midst of the adventurous life he insisted on living right to the end.

‘His legacy is one of love, laughter, craftsmanship, and bold living. Those who knew him will carry his stories, his hugs, his humour, and his fearless spirit with them always.’

Dozens commented on the post to pay tribute to Smith. 

The seasoned diver had been tasked with attaching cables to a submerged vehicle in Lake Erie’s (pictured, stock) boat channel when he disappeared beneath the water

One woman said: ‘I first met Gary over 30 years ago at GT’s roadhouse when I tended bar while home from university. Gary would come in for a pint with the fellas after being at the dive shop or in the water.

‘Years on… he always greeted me with that sparkle in his eye, and wide smile. Always asked how I was, and how my family was… Always so kind. With deep sadness, I send his wife and family condolences… He was a terrific guy.’

Another added: ‘I first met him and his friends 30 years ago when I was bartender. They were great guys and he always made me laugh. My thoughts and condolences are with his family.’

Smith was a well-known and respected figure in the local diving community after he began diving in 1986.

He previously ran Red Devil Scuba in Chatham and was recognised for his dedication both in and out of the water.

Through a series of endurance dive events, he helped raise more than £50,000 for charitable causes over seven years, according to Dive Magazine.

His efforts earned recognition from the Ontario Underwater Council, particularly for organising a gruelling 24-hour dive – a format later adopted elsewhere across Canada.

He had once described south-western Ontario as ‘a diver’s paradise’ due to the abundance of historic shipwrecks in Lake Erie – a passion that also led to his dive operation being credited with discovering the wreck of the steamer City of London.