A scuba diver who was left stranded at sea more than 30 miles from the shoreline recorded his "last moments" after losing hope.
As reported by ABC News, 30-year-old Jacob Childs became stranded off the south-east Queensland coast after becoming separated from his scuba diving group.
Childs, who describes himself as a "relatively experienced diver", was diving at the Althea Wreck on Tuesday, when he was suddenly found himself alone around 30 nautical miles northeast of Bundaberg, Australia. Childs says the incident unfolded after he drifted away from his group and failed to grab the boat's tagline.
As the hours started to tick by, Childs decided to record what he believed would be his final thoughts on his GoPro.
"So that's it. The sun goes down they won't do nothing. That's a wrap on old Jakey," he says in the footage, losing hope after search crews had failed to spot him drifting in the sea.
Watch one of Childs' videos below:In the footage, Childs can be seen wearing his scuba mask and swimsuit, with a bright orange inflatable beacon attached to his body. Perhaps the most daunting part of the footage is slowly seeing the sun setting in the background.
Fortunately, after six hours of drifting in the big blue, he was rescued shortly after 6:00PM after he was spotted by a plane. Water Police were then able to successfully locate him.
Speaking to ABC News about the experience, Childs said: "It's a long time to spend by yourself."
"Apparently there were a lot of boats out there but I didn't see any of those... all I had seen and heard was a trawler which I tried swimming towards," he said.
Fortunately, the frightening experience wasn't too uncomfortable for Childs. "I was nice and warm in my wetsuit," he said. "I wasn't overly tired as I was floating." He added that he was fully prepared to spend the night drifting in the ocean if he had to.
"If you've got to do it, you've got to do it," the diver said.
After being rescued, he said the only things he wanted were "a drink of water and a cup of tea".
He said the thought of having to spend the night at sea did not worry him.
Sergeant Rob Jorna, who led the rescue operation, told ABC News: "[Childs] knew what to do, and his level-headedness at the time, and he didn't panic and he did all the right things, and activated his safety equipment which alerted the air observer."
Amazingly, the unsettling experience has not deterred Childs from diving.
In the comments of his YouTube videos, Childs has received an outpouring of support from social media users.
One person commented: "You are amazing and although this situation gave me sooo much anxiety, I'm sooo happy that you are ok and you survived this ordeal. You are blessed and you have a purpose for sure. Sending love to you."
A second added: "[It] broke my heart to hear you say 'thats a wrap on old jakey'. I am so relieved and glad you made it out alive, and very brave for how you handled the situation."
However, responding to one YouTube comment, Childs says he now carries more equipment on his dives. "I now carry some dye, a mirror, and a PLB [Personal Locator Beacon] these days," he wrote.
