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Anticipating this possibility, Mike and Kelly had moved into a position just above the pair of troubled divers. Just as the two men began to bolt for the surface, Mike and Kelly each grabbed one roughly by their buoyancy control jackets and shoved their own alternate regulators into the divers' mouths. Already beyond rational thought, the divers struggled with their rescuers, attempting to break free. Kelly had given the diver he was assisting the air he needed, but the man couldn't relax enough to take a breath. He quickly jabbed his diver in the stomach to make him release the breath that was building up the pressure in his lungs. Kelly was rewarded with the sound of the man exhaling rapidly and then inhaling.

The other diver continued to struggle. Mike moved closer so that his mask was within inches of the other diver's face in an effort to get the other man to focus on him, but risking his own life in the process.

The diver twisted in Mike's grip, but Mike held him firmly. Panic is an extremely powerful emotion. It makes rational people do irrational things. They hurt people trying to help them. They don't take help that would save their lives, because it isn't what they are focused on.

This could have been the case for Mike and his out-of-air diver. The man moved, jerked and tried to get free. Eventually, however, recognition and understanding entered the eyes of the diver and Mike heard the reassuring metallic rush of air through the donated regulator as he began to breathe.

In the brief moments that it had taken Mike to regain control, Kelly had already moved to the boat's mooring line and was beginning to make a slow ascent with his diver in tow. Mike looked around and, reassured, he motioned his new charge toward the line and they began their ascent as well.

On the surface, Kelly signaled the boat's divemaster that something was wrong and pointed to the two divers. With a look and a couple practiced hand signals, Kelly was able to communicate to the boat crew what had happened underwater and that they should watch these divers closely.

“Well, that was an exciting way to finish a dive,” Mike said to his buddy while they waited for Shaun to assist the other divers out of the water and back on the boat.

“Sure was. Been a while since I helped out in a rescue. How do you feel? Looked like you had more of a handful than I did,” Kelly observed.

“I'm good, actually. When the adrenaline drops, I'm not sure how I'll feel. But, I do know these guys owe us one,” was Mike's reply.