Divers Rescued in Gulf After Four-Hour Ordeal

By: Courtney Hayes

Updated: Sun 8:45 PM, Jul 18, 2004

A pair of divers is happy to be back on dry land Saturday after spending almost four hours floating in the Gulf of Mexico after losing sight of their dive boat.

Teri, Dave and Thomas were headed down to a recreational dive site about 12 miles south of St. Andrew's Pass. On the way down they lost their guide wire and were carried by the rough seas about four miles away from where they went in water.

The Thomas' friends called for help around 10 Saturday morning when the couple didn't resurface nearby.

Several nearby boats heard the initial distress call and helped the coast guard with the search. The Thomas' put their feet on dry land at about 1:30 Saturday afternoon.

Bay County Commission Considering Lifeguards