Scuba Divers Tread Water for 36 Hours in Harrowing Survival Story
An Oklahoma couple is lucky to be alive after a scuba diving trip turned into a terrifying story of survival.
Nathan and Kim Maker were scuba diving with a group off the coast of Texas on July 24 when one of the members lost their hold on the guide line used for safety and stabilization while diving. They recounted what happened in a July 29 interview on Good Morning America. Nathan dove down to try to help, but the chaotic moment led to both Nathan and Kim being swept away from the group and the boat.
"I was swimming with everything. I had to get her back to the line, and we got her to the line and I just was within arm’s reach. I just couldn’t get it," he said.
They then realized they needed to tread water in hopes of staying alive. "Because our body temperatures were dropping, we needed to keep swimming, or we probably would have frozen to death," Kim said.
They were stuck there for 36 hours in total. At one point, Nathan came close to entering a diabetic coma in the middle of the ocean.
They were rescued around 1 a.m. on July 26 after a miraculous spotting from the air. "We’d already practically have given up hope," Nathan's cousin Charles Owen told KFOR.
The Coast Guard searched more than 1,600 square miles and was about to call off the search after they scoured the area looking for them. Thankfully, it was able to see the Makers calling for help.
"This plane happened to be in the air last night making its last run outside the grid and Nathan and Kim had their diving flashlights and they were doing the S.O.S. to point at the plane’s bottom," Owen said.
The couple was rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment. They were both extremely dehydrated and covered in jellyfish stings. After a near-death experience, however, they're in stable condition and close to returning home.
"We thank everybody for their concerns and their prayers," Owen said. "This miracle was performed by the Coast Guard at God’s direction."