A 45-year-old scuba diver is safely back on shore after being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard off Key Largo, Florida, in an incident that highlights one of the simplest but most effective pieces of safety equipment a diver can carry.
The diver was reported overdue on Saturday after failing to surface from a dive approximately five miles east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Crew aboard the dive vessel Island Hopper contacted Coast Guard Sector Key West at around 11:45 a.m. when the diver had been missing for roughly 15 minutes beyond his expected surfacing time.
Sector Key West immediately issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and launched a response involving a Coast Guard Station Islamorada rescue boat, an Air Station Miami helicopter, and air and surface assets from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Fortunately, the search was short-lived.
The Station Islamorada crew located the diver within the initial search area and transported him to Garden Cove Marina, where emergency medical services assessed him. He was reported to be in stable condition.
DSMB Made the Difference
According to Petty Officer 2nd Class Damian Burnham of Coast Guard Station Islamorada, the diver’s delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) proved instrumental in the rescue.
The diver was successfully located because he was equipped with a delayed surface marker buoy, which enabled us to identify his position approximately one-quarter mile away.
Burnham added that the incident demonstrates how dramatically a DSMB can improve a diver’s visibility on the surface, allowing rescue crews to locate them much more quickly.
For many experienced divers, carrying a DSMB has become standard practice, particularly when diving from boats in areas with currents or busy marine traffic. Once deployed, the brightly coloured inflatable tube provides a highly visible marker that can be spotted from considerable distances by vessels and aircraft.
A Common Challenge in the Florida Keys
Although this rescue ended positively, divers becoming separated from their boats is not uncommon in the Florida Keys, where tidal currents, wind and surface drift can quickly carry divers away from their intended pickup location.
In May 2024, Coast Guard Station Islamorada rescued two divers who drifted away from their vessel near Tennessee Reef after spending more than an hour in the water. In that incident, the Coast Guard reminded divers to always dive with a buddy, carry emergency signalling equipment and ensure someone remains aboard to monitor their position.
Similar incidents have occurred repeatedly throughout Florida waters over recent years, reinforcing the importance of thorough dive planning and appropriate surface signalling devices.
Coast Guard Safety Advice
Following Saturday’s rescue, the Coast Guard reminded recreational divers to:
- Carry emergency signalling equipment, including a DSMB.
- Maintain communication with the dive vessel.
- Ensure someone ashore knows the dive plan.
- Dive with appropriate safety equipment and experienced support whenever possible.
For many divers, the lesson from this incident is straightforward: a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment may have been the reason this story ended with a successful rescue rather than a prolonged search.
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