Wrightsville Beach Coast Guard speaks on rescuing missing diver off Bald Head Island

BALD HEAD ISLAND (WWAY) — The U.S. Coast Guard and good Samaritans helped rescue 54 year-old diver Steve Oatman after learning he was missing Monday afternoon.

About 30 minutes after Oatman was supposed to resurface, his wife notified the Coast Guard that he was missing. She told them he was in dive equipment and diving alone. Aircrews from the Coast Guard in Elizabeth City, the Wrightsville Beach Coast Guard Station and Ocean Rescue, and some good Samaritans found Oatman in the water waving his arms. He was three miles northwest of his initial location.

Michael Sparks with the Wrightsville Beach Coast Guard was involved in the rescue and describes what happened.

“He had a another safety buoy and was waiving it at the helo and we just hooked a left, picked him up. He was like I said, in fantastic spirits. He had been floating two and half hours, three hours or so,” Sparks said.

Sparks said the best thing someone can do if they are in a situation like this diving, try to be as visible as possible and try to dive with a group instead of alone.