KEY WEST, Florida — Two off-duty lieutenants from the Marion County Sheriff's Office recently found a diver who had been swept away from his boat six miles offshore.
Lieutenants David Woolf and Eric Thoresen were fishing off the coast of the Florida Keys with their spouses when they happened to see something in the distance.
“I thought I saw what might be a bird down on the water flapping its wing. Like it was injured,” said in a Facebook post about the incident.
When they got closer, they found it was actually a person in distress. The current had swept a diver away from his boat.
Woolf called the Coast Guard who told him that they had just received a call about a lost diver and provided coordinates for them to the boat, which they found two miles away.
"We are happy to report that the diver was safely returned in good health and the Lieutenants were able to land a few fish by the end of the day too!" the Marion County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post about the incident.
An article by Sport Diver recommends the following steps for any divers who are lost or left behind by the boat:
1. Look Again: Inflate your BCD to get your head as high above the water as possible and do a slow 360-degree scan of the horizon to see if your boat is still visible
2. Signal: Use whatever gear you have to make visual signals: if you have a brightly colored surface marker tube or brightly colored fins, use them to wave and splash to attract attention. If you have an air horn, use it.
3. Self-Orient: Use all available markers to try and figure out which way you've been swimming relative to shore. You can determine the direction of the current by noting which way kelp, seaweed or soft corals lean or, if you’re close enough to shore, by which way you drift. It's also a good idea for divers to buy a compass and learn to use it beforehand.
4. Wait: It's usually best to wait where you are to be rescued. If there's a buoy nearby, hang on to it to prevent yourself from drifting. Ditch your weights and tank too if necessary.
5. Survive: Keep an eye out and be ready to signal any passing boat or plane. Stay calm, keep your arms and legs close to your body, and conserve your energy.
