RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. – Coast Guard crews from Station Lake Worth Inlet, Fla., quickly located three missing divers Friday after they became disoriented from their vessels position.
The Coast Guard received a call on VHF Channel 16 at 2:18 p.m. from the master of the 43-foot dive boat, Narcosis, informing them three divers had not returned to the boat as planned. Station Lake Worth Inlet crews immediately launched their 33-foot Special Purpose Craft – Law Enforcement boat and located the three divers within 15 minutes of receiving the initial distress call.
The two men from Marathon, Fla., and a woman from Denmark, Ga., were located floating together about one mile from the Narcosis. When crews arrived on scene the three divers been floating for approximately 40 minutes and using their signaling markers.
“We always strive to have happy endings with our cases and this is an opportunity to remind people that diving is a high-risk sport, and you don’t want to let complacency take over,” said Chief Warrant Officer Jim T. Mullinax, commanding officer of Station Lake Worth Inlet. “Safety has always got to be the number one focus, especially when you are dealing with the unpredictability of the ocean.”
The Coast Guard crew waited on scene with the divers until the Narcosis arrived and recovered the divers from. Also responding to the call were vessels from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and the Palm Beach Police Department.
