Ally

A scuba diver has died after his equipment apparently malfunctioned off the New South Wales far south coast on Saturday.

Police say the 42-year-old Sydney man had been involved in a deep water dive on a ship wreck about 14 kilometres off Bermagui.

The group of three was diving on the 'Iron Knight', a merchant vessel sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War II.

Eden water police Sergeant Jim Hinckley says highly specialised sonar equipment will be used to try to find the man's body, but it is unlikely that it will be brought to the surface.

"There was a strong southerly current and the current, along with the negative buoyancy which their friend was subjected to, made it impossible to hold on to him," he said.

"They found it impossible to bring him to the surface. You've got to consider what a terrible situation it was for these people. The decision to go after him or to go to the surface.

"Perhaps if they'd gone after him they also would not have made it to the surface."

(ABC Australia)