A diver who disappeared during a dive off Key Largo in the Florida Keys was rescued by the US Coast Guard after being located using his delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB).
The 45-year-old diver was diving from a charter boat about five miles off John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on the morning of Saturday, 11 July, when he failed to return to the boat around 15 minutes after his scheduled surfacing time.
Coast Guard Sector Key West received the report at approximately 11.45 am and launched a search involving a boat crew from Station Islamorada, an Air Station Miami helicopter and units from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Station Islamorada crew found the diver within the initial search area and transferred him to emergency medical services at Garden Cove Marina. He was reported to be in a stable condition.
‘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,’ said Petty Officer 2nd Class Damian Burnham, of the Station Islamorada boat crew.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, in the northern Florida Keys, is one of Florida’s best-known dive sites, with extensive coral reefs that attract divers from across the United States and overseas.
The US Coast Guard said the incident highlighted the importance of carrying emergency signalling equipment such as a DSMB, maintaining communication with the dive boat and ensuring someone ashore knows the dive plan.
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