A soldier has died in a "tragic" diving accident during the final week of his Army Diver Course, wrote BBC.

George Partridge died on 26 March at the National Dive Centre in Gloucestershire, the Ministry of Defence said.

The soldier was married and based with 26 Engineer Regiment at Perham Down in Wiltshire.

An Ministry of Defence spokesman said "our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time".

The spokesman added it was investigating how the "tragic diving incident" happened and it "would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage".

The National Diving and Activity Centre is a large flooded quarry at Tidenham in Gloucestershire, near Chepstow in Monmouthshire.

It was formerly Dayhouse Quarry, a source of limestone, which was flooded in 1996.

The diving center, which opened in 2003 as an inland scuba diving site, is popular with technical and free divers due to the depths of up to 80m.