Edmond Couple Reunites With Rescuers Who Saved Them After Nearly 40-Hours Stranded At Sea

An Oklahoma couple was lost at sea for nearly 40 hours before being rescued off the Texas coast. Kim and Nathan Maker, experienced divers from Edmond, Oklahoma, encountered trouble during a chartered dive while helping less experienced divers. Strong currents pulled them away from their group, leaving them stranded in open water.

The couple initially stayed calm, tethering themselves together and using their dive buoys to signal for help. However, after hours without rescue, they began to lose hope. As night fell, their body temperatures dropped, and they had to swim intermittently to stay warm.

“At first, we didn’t panic,” Nathan said, explaining that they expected a quick rescue. But after spotting a search plane that failed to see them, they realized they were in serious danger. Jellyfish stung them repeatedly, and exhaustion set in as they swam through the night, battling storm-fueled waves and enduring dehydration. At one point, dolphins appeared, offering brief encouragement.

By the second night, both Kim and Nathan had resigned themselves to a grim outcome. Nathan urged Kim to cut their tether if he couldn’t make it. Kim, in a moment of despair, even considered ending her life. But hope arrived when a passing plane finally spotted their signal flashlight.

“I just saw a bright LED flashlight pointing up at us, waving frantically,” said the Coast Guard's Nathan Cyrus.

A rescue plane circled overhead, dropping a flare to guide a nearby Coast Guard boat. The crew pulled the exhausted couple from the water, preventing serious long-term harm, despite their severe dehydration and sunburn.

A month after their ordeal, Kim and Nathan were reunited with their rescuers in Oklahoma, where they emotionally thanked the Coast Guard crew.

“We owe our lives to you guys,” Nathan said, hugging each of the rescuers.

The search, led by Lt. Nina McDonald, covered 1,500 square miles. The Coast Guard used boats, planes, and helicopters to locate the couple, who had drifted about 20 miles from their original dive site. According to McDonald, the search involved a combination of scientific data and gut instinct, which ultimately led to their rescue.

The experience has left Kim and Nathan with a profound sense of gratitude and a newfound appreciation for life.

“We were put to the test, and we came through it,” Kim said.