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Journalist turned salvage diver dies aged 68

A former regional journalist who later forged a career salvaging shipwrecks has died aged 68.

Simon Martin trained at the Sunderland Echo in the 1960s before moving to Edinburgh and working in PR.

However in 1970 a thirst for adventure led him to answer his calling as a deep sea diver when he joined an archaeological expedition working on a Spanish Armada shipwreck.

Kelso-born Simon’s big break came in 1973 when, with his diving partner Alec Crawford, he discovered the wreck of the White Star liner Oceanic, lost in mysterious circumstances off the Shetland Islands at the beginning of the First World War.

Simon Martin

The find led to the pair recovering 200-tonnes of top grade metal, the story of which Simon told in his best-selling book The Other Titanic.

Tony Colling, a photographer at the Echo during Simon’s time there, said: “He was a very likeable and well mannered young gentleman, and it’s sad to hear of his death.

“I remember he slept in the office one night because it was too late to get back to his digs.

“The morning cleaner screamed with shock at finding him asleep.”

In 1980 Simon married Alison McLeay, the author and broadcaster, with whom he ran a wine bar and cookware shop in the Scottish town of St Andrews.

Alison died in 1998 and Simon passed away in Dundee on October 18.

The couple are survived by their son Richard.