[chris]

The Coast Guard and good Samaritans rescued a missing 54-year-old male diver 24 miles east of Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders were notified at 12:26 p.m. that an overdue diving instructor was missing. His wife said he was wearing a wet suit and dive equipment, had a personal locator beacon, and was diving alone. He was supposed to dive for one hour, and she called 30 minutes after his resurfacing time had passed.

A Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew, and a Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach 45-foot Motor Lifeboat crew were sent to search. The Hercules crew arrived around 2 p.m., spotted the diver waving his arms, and directed the boat crew to him.

The Station Wrightsville Beach crew and good Samaritan divers recovered him with no reported injuries about 3 miles northwest of the initial reported location. He had a highlighter green safety sausage, a float plan, and proper safety gear with him.