A posthumous honour has been awarded to a Kings Bromley diver who died during an exploration of the Titanic’s sister ship.
Carl Spencer’s son Ben received the Golden Trident Award from the International Academy of Underwater Sciences and Techniques.
The diver was leading a National Geographic documentary crew exploring the wreck of The Britannic when he died in May 2009.
Italian diver Edoardo Pavia, who was with the 39-year-old when he died, flew from Italy to present the award to Ben at the Go Diving Show in Coventry yesterday (6th March).
Carl’s widow Victoria Ann Spencer-Kibble said:
“We’re truly honoured that Carl has been posthumously conferred such a prestigious and rare award. It’s just amazing.
“We’re blown away that he’ll be only the second person to ever get this award for underwater exploration.
“It’s incredibly humbling that Carl’s memory is being immortalised like this in recognition of his extensive, global underwater exploration of the ocean of going where few had gone before.
“Now our son Ben is following in his footsteps. I’m incredibly proud that Ben is receiving this honour in tribute to Carl.”
Victoria Ann Spencer-Kibble
During the dive in which Carl lost his life, he also helped place equipment linked to a medical experiment on the seabed in the Aegean Sea.
It is due to be brought back to the surface later this year and Ben will be part of the recovery crew.
“As Carl’s hands were the last to touch the medical experiment, it’s only right his son Ben lifts it, with his hands, to the surface.”
Victoria Ann Spencer-Kibble
