U.S. Coast Guard officials told The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune that John Anders, 33, had been spearfishing from a catamaran-type boat Tuesday when he was thrown into an undertow, perhaps by a malfunctioning oxygen tank, and was adrift in the water for hours.

Anders couldn't be heard yelling by his fellow divers, and instead of fighting against 4-foot seas, decided to drift to what seemed like a nearby oil rig. But the rig was actually eight miles away, and he became exhausted, the newspaper said. A rescue effort was launched when Anders failed to show up for a diver check-in.

He was eventually spotted by another ship, whose crew radioed the Coast Guard. A helicopter already searching for Anders then was dispatched to rescue him. He was not seriously injured.