A 60-year-old British man has died while diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia on Friday.

The English tourist, who was a certified diver, was on his second dive of the day when he was found to have his breathing regulator out of his mouth.

He was rescued from the bottom of the ocean at Agincourt Reef, near Port Douglas, and pulled aboard a Silver Sonic dive boat.

The diver received CPR on board the vessel and from a doctor, before he was airlifted to a nearby hospital.

Col McKenzie, executive director of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, said: "After an extended effort with no response, the diver was declared dead."

He is the third person to die on the reef in as many days.