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U.S. Coast Guard crews rescue diver on Friday
Members of a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah aircrew successfully rescued a male diver on Friday afternoon.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WMBF) - Members of a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah aircrew successfully rescued a male diver on Friday afternoon.
The male diver drifted away from his vessel while diving 75 miles offshore from Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The Coast Guard District Seven command center watchstanders in Miami, Florida received a notification from an emergency GPS beacon around 1:50 p.m. on Friday that was activated by the dive boat crewmembers around the 28-food vessel when the male did not resurface. They then launched multiple air and surface crews to assist in search efforts and develop search patterns near the diver’s last known position, based on weather conditions.
An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah located the diver and deployed a rescue swimmer to get him to the helicopter.
“It was a miracle that our rescue swimmer spotted him while we were on the last leg of our sector search,” said Lt. Jeff Davis, Coast Guard Air Station Savannah aircraft commander. “The diver’s yellow surface marker buoy helped us spot him despite the rough seas and strong winds, which limited visibility.”
There were no medical concerns that were reported.
The Coast Guard units that responded were Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules airplane aircrew, Coast Guard Station Oak Island 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew and, Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew.