Dornoch native to attend special military dinner at Portsmouth today in honour of Royal Navy divers
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A hero ex-rescue helicopter winchman from Dornoch is being recognised for his contribution to diving.
Chris Murray is one of the guests at a special dinner aboard Nelson's old flagship HMS Victory today.
The event had been previously postponed because of Covid - and tonight's celebration almost fell victim to the mourning period after the late Queen's death.
From diving to the depths of the ocean looking for unexploded mines and bombs, to dangling perilously on a thin wire above a foaming sea, life has never been dull for Mr Murray who now lives near Stornoway on Lewis.
In fact his bravery brought him recognition at the highest level in the form of the Queen's Gallantry Medal for one particularly hair-raising rescue as a winchman aboard a Coastguard helicopter.
Now his contribution is being celebrated together with other divers.
It is being billed as a night to celebrate Royal Navy diving in war and peace.
The dinner for decorated Royal Navy divers and Fleet Air Arm crew past and present is on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
It is hoped that divers from every recent conflict and decade will be in attendance - many involved in major deep dives and diving firsts or have contributed significantly to the branch.
Mr Murray said he was "honoured" to have been invited.
The former Royal Navy mine clearance diver still dives to photograph sealife and wrecks.
"I just love photography and wildlife and the natural environment," said Mr Murray.
"I have had some fantastic encounters with wildlife - including swimming with a pod of killer whales off Dounreay in Caithness. That was magical."
Mr Murray thought he had retired early as a helicopter winchman in 2009 after smashing his elbow on a rescue aboard French fishing vessel, Jackabry, off the Butt of Lewis.
But a couple of years later he was brought out of retirement to form part of a team to help train the next generation of coastguard search and rescue helicopter crew.
The father-of-one - who grew up in Dornoch in Sutherland - has also worked on oil rigs.
Mr Murray joined the Navy as an ordinary seaman and after his initial training went on to become a clearance diver, one of the most dangerous peace-time occupations.
"We did a lot of work all over Scotland with bomb and mine disposal," he said.
Mr Murray carried out more than 750 search and rescue missions with Coastguard helicopters around the UK.
He carried out many daring and perilous rescues, such as in 1995 when he was washed overboard minus his line.
"We had to go out one night in bad weather to rescue a seriously ill crewman off the fishing boat Moraime, which was 165 miles west of Lewis," he said. "The sea conditions were pretty atrocious and during the operation we had to return to Benbecula to refuel. On our return I managed to get on deck and unhooked the wire. But then I was thrown overboard by a huge wave. I narrowly missed the ship's propellers.
"It was 15 minutes before the helicopter found me and I was able to re-hook myself. I went straight back onto the boat and completed the rescue operation. We made it back to Stornoway but it took nine hours in all."
He had also been involved in quite a few animal rescues, including that of a cow which had somehow become marooned on a cliff face.
But the part he played in rescuing the crew of the German fishing boat, Hansa, which sank in 2001 about 200 miles from Benbecula, led to his bravery being officially recognised. Six of the crew died and nine others took to a life raft in heavy seas.
Mr Murray was lowered to the life raft and evacuated all nine survivors to the helicopter, despite suffering a painful shoulder injury. He received the Queen's Gallantry Medal while the other three members of his team were awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air for keeping the helicopter in position in gale force winds and heavy swells.
When the helicopter eventually landed in Benbecula, it had only five minutes' worth of fuel left.
