Original: Matthew Batts, 22 and his fiancee Rachael McManus pictured after the unusual proposal
One young man made quite a splash when he popped the question to his girlfriend recently.
Matthew Batts, 22, decided to propose to his girlfriend by enlisting the help of a diver at Bristol's Blue Reef Aquarium.
A sign saying 'Rachael, Will you marry me?' was placed in the aquarium's giant tropical ocean display.
Animal-mad Rachael McManus, 21, had no idea what Mr Batts had planned and almost missed the proposal after being held up in snow.
The couple arrived just five minutes before diver Dan de Castro was due to put the sign in the aquarium.
Mr Batts, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, said: 'Rachael works as an animal carer for the Bath Cats and Dogs Home and she has always loved all types of animals.
'I wanted to propose somewhere which was a bit different and in a way we would both always remember.'
Miss McManus, from Keynsham, Somerset, accepted the proposal. Mr Batts added: 'She was shocked to say the least.
In deep water: Diver Dan de Castro holds the proposal request from Matthew Batts to Rachael McManus at Bristol's Blue Reef Aquarium as onlookers watch
'She didn't see it coming and I was very happy when she gave me the instant answer of 'yes'.'
Mr Batts had contacted staff at the aquarium to arrange the unusual proposal and curator Dan de Castro said he was delighted to be able to play a part in such a romantic gesture.
'It's the first time I have been asked to help someone propose and I was quite nervous,' Mr de Castro said.
'Thankfully it all went according to plan and Rachael was in just the right place when I held the sign up.
'Even through the glass and the water it was clear that she had said 'yes' and we could all breathe a sigh of relief.'
The couple met at college and have been together for four and a half years.
They plan to get married within the next couple of years and want to continue the marine theme by getting married on a beach.
