Three scuba divers were rescued by the US Coast Guard off Palm Beach, Florida on 4 January after they had lost sight of their dive-boat.
The divers were able to call for help using a satellite emergency notification device (SEND), which can transmit SOS signals with precise GPS co-ordinates to monitoring centres. The make of device has not been disclosed but the notification was picked up by the Coast Guard at 4.09pm.
Boat-crew from the Lake Worth Inlet Coast Guard station were enabled to pick up the divers separated from their vessel at around 5pm, about a mile off Palm Beach.
They were taken ashore “in stable condition” to be checked by waiting emergency medical services. A crew from Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office had also been dispatched to the scene.
“It was a collective effort from everyone to save these divers,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Vallery Massey from the Lake Worth Inlet crew. “Thanks to their emergency equipment we were able to bring them back home to their families.”
Also on Divernet: Coast Guard guides dive-boat to its missing divers, Buoyed freediver survives boat separation, Separated diver strikes lucky – but instructor missing
Wouldn’t it have been nice if the author stated which specific SOS device was used in the story?