Paul Swain, 49, from Billingham, was diving with six others when he failed to surface from the wreck. The alarm was raised and two of the group dived again in search of Swain. At risk of decompression illness, they were hospitalised as a precaution, but were reported to have suffered no injury.
Surface and underwater searches were carried out by the emergency services and the Armed Forces of Malta over the next two days, but no trace of Swain was found, and he is presumed dead.
His body was reported to be inside the wreck, possibly in a part of the vessel regarded by rescue divers as too dangerous to enter on account of debris.
The former Gozo ferry was sunk off Xatt l-Ahmar as a diving attraction in 2000, settling upside down in 45m of water.
Swain had travelled out to Malta with nine other members of the Sub-Aqua Association in South Hetton, County Durham, with which Swain had instructed for 10 years. The group had dived many times together, in the UK and the Red Sea.
Club-member Brian Weatherall told journalists: 'Paul was the most experienced diver there. He's the most motivated of all of us, and has done well over 1000 dives. He's a really nice, helpful guy. He would do anything for anyone, nothing was too much trouble and he really knew his stuff.'
The emergency services, armed forces and authorities had been 'brilliant', added Weatherall. 'We can't fault them... they were there within 10 minutes of our call,' he said.
The Foreign Office has provided consular assistance to Swain's next of kin. He was engaged to a partner of 10 years.
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