A Florida couple were rescued after spending more than six hours in the water when their boat drifted away during a scuba dive in the Gulf of Mexico.
Tony Rivera and Brianna Rutledge, from Arcadia in DeSoto County, Florida, were diving at Novak Reef in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, 9 April, when the unattended vessel broke free from its anchor in rough conditions.
Northeast winds of 15-20 knots and waves of 1-1.5 metres (3-5ft) had pushed the boat away while they were underwater. The pair surfaced around 2.30 pm, but had no emergency communications devices with them when they realised it was missing.
Novak Reef lies approximately 2.6 miles (4.2km) off Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island, a barrier island on Florida’s southwest Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Fort Myers.
With no other boats in the area, the two divers attempted to swim towards shore using their scuba gear and surface marker buoy (SMB) for support.
The couple eventually reached a crab-trap buoy about 1.5 miles (2.4km) offshore and clung to it for support, as conditions reportedly began to deteriorate.
As night fell, Rivera used a dive light to signal for help. Charlotte County Fire and EMS received a report of a light flashing SOS about 1-2 miles offshore northwest of Gasparilla at around 8.15 pm, followed by a second report just a few minutes later at 8.19 pm.
‘Crews were dispatched at 8:19 p.m. after receiving a report of a flashing SOS light about 1 to 2 miles offshore near Gasparilla Pass,’ Charlotte County Public Safety said.
‘A marine unit launched from Gasparilla Marina and navigated through high winds and a strong outgoing tide. Around 8:55 p.m., crews located the couple in the water, clinging to a buoy.’
The marine rescue team brought Rivera and Rutledge to Gasparilla Marina for evaluation, but both declined hospital transport.
Rivera said the ordeal left them with little hope. ‘I panicked, I screamed, and I didn’t think this would ever happen,’ he said. ‘We knew there was gonna be no help, this is it, there’s nobody coming to save you.’
He added: ‘Literally praying. In our minds, in our state at the time, there’s no hope. This is it.’
Rutledge described the moment darkness set in. ‘I started freaking out when the sun went down. I didn’t think anyone was going to see it,’ she said.
Rivera urged other divers to learn from their experience. ‘Take your gear, take your light, it will save your life,’ he said.
The boat was left to drift without navigation lights and, at the time of reporting, remains missing. The US Coast Guard has been notified, and Rivera has asked anyone who spots the missing boat to contact local authorities.
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