The U.S. Coast Guard shared dramatic video of the rescue of a missing diver about 75 miles off the coast of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina on May 31, 2024.
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The U.S. Coast Guard released a dramatic video showing the rescue of a missing man who drifted away from his vessel while diving about 75 miles off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Friday.
The incident began to unfold just before 2 p.m. when Coast Guard District Seven command center watchstanders in Miami received a notification from an emergency GPS beacon that was activated by crewmembers aboard the 28-foot vessel when the unidentified 35-year-old man failed to resurface.
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This image shows the Coast Guard rescuing a missing diver about 75 miles off the coast of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina on Friday, May 31, 2024.
According to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard, a massive search and rescue operation was launched with multiple air and surface crews responding to the area to assist in the search near the diver’s last known position based on prevailing weather conditions.
Officials said an aircrew from Coast Guard Station Savannah in Georgia spotted the diver in the ocean and deployed a rescue swimmer to help hoist him into the helicopter.
The diver was then safely brought to Cape Fear Regional Jetport in Southport, North Carolina, where EMS was waiting.
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“It was a miracle that our rescue swimmer spotted him while we were on the last leg of our search sector,” Coast Goard Air Station Savannah Aircraft Commander Lt. Jeff Davis said in the news release. “The diver’s yellow surface marker buoy helped us spot him despite rough seas and strong winds, which limited visibility.”
Coast Guard officials said weather conditions at the time of the diver’s rescue included 8- to 9-foot seas and winds from the north at nearly 20 mph.
The diver was not injured during the dramatic ordeal.