Ross Kemp cheated death while exploring Second World War shipwrecks in Orkney’s waters for a new TV documentary.
The presenter got into difficulties during a diving expedition to the Tabarka which lies at the bottom of Scapa Flow.
He was forced to cling on to the steamship to avoid being swept away when the tide suddenly changed as he and a TV crew were filming.
Treacherous dive on Scapa Flow
Dramatic footage shows the former Eastenders star becoming disorientated and swearing as he battles the strong current.
The 57-year-old was eventually led to safety by Emily Turton, an expert diver from Orkney who accompanied him for the show.
Kemp spent two months doing scuba diving training for Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter which airs on the Sky History channel next month.
Describing his near miss in a voiceover for the show, Kemp says: “Before the wreck gives up its secrets, there’s a sudden change in the water.
“I’m 16 metres beneath the waves inside the wreck of the Tabarka. I’m fighting against the current now.
“The current is so strong I need to grab the wreck to stop myself being dragged away.
“The current is picking up, pushing me towards jagged edges. It’s dragging me.
“The quickest way out is to turn and ride the current back from the way we came. When we break back into open water, I’m relieved.
“It was amazing the strength of the current when it turned. I felt a bit like a champagne cork for a minute.”
Kemp had a personal reason for undertaking the adventure as members of his family served at sea, with some being shipwrecked and not surviving to tell their tales.
His great grandfather Pop was in the Merchant Marines during the First World War and survived being shipwrecked three times.
In preparation for the series, Kemp took an advanced HSE scuba diving course to prepare for the unpredictable elements of our vast seas and said the experience on Orkney had not put him off diving.
The first episode of the four-part series will be broadcast on Sky History on April 18.
