Mini SeaSeason2020

    On Wednesday, July 29, 2020 we were diving off of Miami Beach for some lobsters. The seas are about 2 to 3 feet and the winds were about 15 knots. Jorge and I enter the water about 7:45 AM. After about an 1 1/2 of Diving we decided to come up and take a break and empty our dive bags. When we surfaced I noticed that my girlfriend that was piloting the boat was nowhere around, that was very unusual for her not to be there. Because she is always within 30 feet of my dive flag. So at that time we had to make a decision on what to do. We saw a boat about 100 yards away and we started swimming over to that boat. But the current was taking us further away from them. I noticed that there was a Coast Guard plane flying overhead but I did not pay that any mind. I was just thinking about what happened to my girlfriend and the boat. At this time I am thinking the worst. We slowly started drifting closer to another boat at this time. When we got closer to that boat I asked the captain if we could board his boat to rest. At this time we have been treading water for about 25 minutes. And we were very exhausted. The captain of the boat told me ”NO” and said he will call the Coast Guard. Not a nice or polite Capt.
   Meanwhile, This is what happened to my girlfriend and my boat. After about 45 minutes of us in the water the boat stalled. She’s slowly started to see her drifting away from my dive flag, and that was not a pretty sight for her. She tried to get it started but was unable  to. So by her keeping calm she reached for the personal locator beacon that I had on the boat. She grabbed it and activated it to get in touch with the Coast Guard for help. After about 15 minutes the Coast Guard finally got to her. With the seas being 2 to 3 feet and her rocking back-and-forth she was getting sick vomiting and the dry heaves by the time the Coast Guard reached her. They saw the condition that she was in so they decided to call Miami Dade fire rescue to come out to get her off the boat. She kept insisting for them to go look for Jorge and myself. The Miami Dade fire rescue boat arrived and took her to Haulover marina so that the EMTs could check her out and make sure that she was all right. Two of the Coast Guard gentleman boarded my boat and threw the anchor so they would not drift any closer to shore. The other two gentlemen started searching for us and with the Coast Guard plane in the air they gave them our location. We where about a mile and a half from my boat. They rescued us in the water and then we returned to my boat. At that time the two gentlemen in my boat got my boat running. They said it was a vapor lock and a fuel line and that is why the motor stalled. It was not getting any gas to the motor. So we proceeded to Haulover marina so that we can unload the dive gear onto the dock and do a safety check on the boat. After the safety check we thank those Coast Guard gentlemen for saving our lives. If it was not for the personal locator beacon and my girlfriend keeping her cool and calm this story could have a different ending. Thank you to the United States Coast Guard men and women for all that they do.