It’s not often that a story ends with a miracle, but that’s exactly what happened with Dylan Gartenmayer.
Dylan was out free diving with some friends off Key West, Florida when the Gulf Stream current swept him away. His friends thought he had blacked out from a lack of oxygen, and a frantic search began.
The 22-year-old was free diving at approximately 35 feet when a Gulf Stream current swept him about a mile away from where he and his friends were swimming. He was forced to hold his breath for two minutes as he was pushed along underwater.
“I had a bunch of bait floating up around me and everything,” he said. “I knew that there was, you know, big fish eating those baits, and there were sharks going to be shortly behind them. I was ready to, you know, fight the night out, but glad I didn’t have to.”
“So that’s how I ended up getting separated. … They were mainly looking down, thinking I had blacked out from a lack of oxygen,” he continued.
Dylan’s family is no stranger to the sea. His mother, Tabitha Gartenmayer, said that Dylan was even out spearfishing while she was pregnant. So it was only natural that Dylan would find his own way home, even when the odds were against him.
When Dylan realized he was being swept away, he had the presence of mind to gather up any nearby floating debris, such as bamboo, to use as makeshift rafts. He was then able to spot a channel marker about a mile away and swim to it. By the time Dylan had made it to the marker, his friends had already called for help.
The Coast Guard, family, and friends all came to the rescue. After sunset, Dylan was spotted by a friend on the family’s boat and everyone let out a collective scream of joy when they realized he was alive. His mother was particularly moved, saying that it was God who brought him back.
Dylan was able to keep his spirits up despite the harrowing experience, and plans to continue doing what he loves: diving and enjoying the ocean. He was also able to find a silver lining in the whole experience, saying that it was “a good reminder to never take anything for granted.”
