As early as he can remember, Dylan Gartenmayer was diving and spearfishing off the coast of Florida. He was able to go through a terrifying event that left him adrift at sea for hours because of his previous experience.
On Thursday afternoon, a strong current took away the 21-year-old free diver who was free diving at Western Sambo Reef in Key West. The river had carried him so far away by the time he reappeared that neither of his buddies noticed him. According to his cousin Priscilla Gartenmayer of CNN, he suddenly disappeared.
They looked for him for about half an hour in the rough seas before calling for Coast Guard assistance. Gartenmayer later informed others that he could see the boat even if they couldn’t see him.
According to his cousin, Gartenmayer found a bamboo staff and used it to float until he could swim across the current and return to the reef. According to his cousin, by the time he finished the two-mile swim, it was nearly 5 o’clock, and his buddies had already left because their boat lacked lights.
Gartenmayer, exhausted, hacked up three buoys to fashion a hammock-like floatation apparatus. His cousin added that while he was worrying about staying alive, his friends and family scrambled to find and rescue him.
Check out recent news In Florida:
- Teachers In Central Florida Respond To Gov. DeSantis’s Teachers Bill Of Rights
- A Florida Diver Got Caught In A Current And Was Lost At Sea For Hours Before His Family Found Him
Diver Saved Florida: 21-Year-Old Swept Away By Current, Lost At Sea For Hours
CNN quoted Dylan’s buddy Sean Caggiano saying, “I got a call from someone on the boat that Dylan was diving from that he was lost for two hours, and I had them email me the coordinates.” I met with his relatives at his grandfather’s place to track him down.
Priscilla Gartenmayer stated that within 15 minutes, the entire family had assembled and hopped into their grandfather’s boat to look for Dylan. “The initial assumption was that he had passed out underwater and drowned. To put it bluntly, that was the worst feeling I’ve ever had, “the woman declared.
The family quickly sped to the last known coordinates for Dylan. Not much time left before nightfall made their rescue mission more difficult. Priscilla Gartenmayer remarked, “Everything on the boat was silent until the flashlight touched him, and he put his hands up — we finally knew he was OK.”
His relatives celebrated his survival in a Facebook video uploaded shortly after the rescue. His family dragged him, shivering, aboard the boat moments later. Family members may be seen in videos posted to Facebook sobbing “Oh my God” and repeatedly calling his name.
According to his relative, the first thing Dylan asked for was a glass of water. CNN has gotten in touch with Dylan Gartenmayer to get his side of the story.
A member of the Coast Guard arrived, took Gartenmayer’s temperature, and found it slightly below average. His relatives reported he was taken to the station and observed for an hour before returning to normal. CNN has contacted the Coast Guard to get their take on the situation.
For the past 11 years, Dylan Gartenmayer has made diving and fishing part of his routine. Images of him with fish such as pompano, grouper, red drum, and wahoo fill his Instagram feed.
Priscilla Gartenmayer remarked, “If he was anyone else, I don’t think it would have been the same outcome.” “Even though he had lost his sense of direction, he still recognized the general direction in which the land lay. In other words, that’s why he made it.”
