TV biologist David Attenborough shared a terrifying death confession while talking to Prince William.

David Attenborough revealed he nearly died while scuba diving (Image: PA )

David Attenborough shared a heartbreaking death confession as he met with Prince William while discussing his latest documentary Ocean. He revealed he almost drowned while testing a scuba-diving helmet for his 1957 dive on the Great Barrier Reef. As the TV star and biologist, 99, discussed his film Ocean with the Prince of Wales, he nostalgically put an original version of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s open-circuit scuba helmet on his head.

He said: “It’s certainly a strange thing to do,” as Prince William laughed: “Don’t do that, David.You won’t get it off.” David then recalled his brush with death, saying: “When I put mine on for the first time, I suddenly felt water coming around [my chin and up over my mouth]. I thought, ‘This can’t be right’. And by the time [the water rose to my nose], I thought, ‘I’m sure this is not right’. But then, of course, if you got this thing screwed on top of you, you can’t breathe. You can’t even make yourself heard, you know: ‘Get it off me!’”

David Attenborough and Prince William discussed Ocean (Image: PA )

He then revealed the frustrated director of operations refused to accept the equipment had a fault, but quickly changed his mind when he tested it.

Attenborough said: “So he put it on and I’m happy to say he went under the water and came up even quicker than I did, because there was actually a fault,” as Prince William shared his shock.

The esteemed biologist’s new National Geographic documentary special, highlights the level of destruction the world’s oceans now face. It was released on Saturday June 8, but came out in cinemas on May 8, Attenborough’s 99th birthday.

Speaking of his horror at how much the ocean has suffered, with corals suffering huge losses due to ocean warming, he said: “The awful thing is that it’s hidden from you and from me and most people.

“The thing which I was appalled by when I first saw the shots taken for this film, is that what we have done to the deep ocean floor is just unspeakably awful.

“If you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms. If this film does anything – if it just shifts public awareness – it’ll be very, very important, and I only hope that people who see it will recognise that something must be done before we destroy this great treasure.”