An Oklahoma couple who went missing while scuba diving off the coast of Texas near Matagorda on Friday were miraculously rescued after 38 hours.
"It's a miracle," said Charles Owen, uncle of Nathan Maker, who was lost at sea with his wife Kim.
Owen told KFOR News that it was around 7 p.m. Wednesday when they got a call from the Coast Guard saying the couple had disappeared earlier that morning while scuba diving with a group.
Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders were notified Wednesday afternoon that the divers had not been seen after having last surfaced in poor weather.
"There was a storm moving in, and the divers had all surfaced and were going to prepare to get back on the boat," Owen explained.
"As the 16 got in, in the meantime, the swell came in and engulfed all of them."
Nathan and Kim, who are experienced divers and take safety precautions, inflated their safety devices to surface, but the storm proved too severe, according to Owen.
Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter and HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft aircrews were launched along with a Station Port O'Connor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew to search for the divers, according to the US Coast Guard.
Rescuers nearly called off the search after 36 hours, but as the plane made its final round for the night, Nathan and Kim were spotted by their diving flashlights.
"We thank everybody for their concerns and their prayers," Owen said.
"This miracle was performed by the Coast Guard at God's direction."
