It was an ordeal at sea that lasted more than 13 hours.
Just after 1 o'clock this morning, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spotted a flashing light about two miles off Kaena point. The source of that light was a missing scuba diver.
Scott Folsom says he is grateful to be able to hold his wife and daughters once again and for the efforts of the Coast Guard.
Scott Folsom spent part of his Monday morning shooting down his equipment in the driveway of his Ewa home, equipment that helped save his life.
"Praise the Lord I'm back I did a lot of praying out there," says Folsom.
Folsom's Sunday dive off the Waianae Coast was supposed to last several hours...
"The plan was to go diving and collect some fish," says Folsom.
It lasted more than 13 hours.
Shortly after entering the ocean at 11:30, the currents shifted off Kaena point and Folsom got separated from his boat's anchor line. His crew searched for 30 minutes before calling the U.S. Coast Guard at about 3:30.
"It was basically my fault. I just didn't make it back to the anchor line," says Folsom.
"I can't really say what they did wrong but I know what they did right which was they're prompt notification," says Lt. Leigh Cotterell, U.S. Coast Guard.
Folsom's emergency transmitter was not working. he immediately deployed his 10-foot long buoy.
"That sticks up pretty far -- -- I was swimming like this with that sticking up," says Folsom.
But by the time search crews were in the air, a strong current had pushed him to Mokuleia. He tried to fight his way to the shoreline with more than 150 pounds of gear and came agonizingly close.
"I could see individual people, I could see cars and tents -- and you know I could just taste it. It was kind of heart-breaking realizing oh man not again," says Folsom.
Several hours later he was off Makaha again. He knew he had to conserve energy. His equipment provided buoyancy.
"Just laid on my back and watched the stars and used them as a course direction and thought of my family," says Folsom.
He said he saw two helicopters pass him three times and thought they were civilian air-craft. On the fourth pass he pointed the light from his underwater scooter at the cockpit. It was a coast guard helicopter returning to refuel.
"I started shining my light on them -- because I really wanted them to know -I'm here and I need some attention," says Folsom.
Within minutes a rescue swimmer was at his side. And moments later the Coast Guard Cutter Ahi arrived.
Except for abrasions on his neck and legs from his dry-suit, he was in good medical condition and was reunited with wife Alicia and their two daughters.
"I wasn't hurt, I didn't get bent, I didn't get cut or scraped or damage in anyway but I was thinking my wife and kids didn't know that," says Folsom.
"The hardest part was waiting -- and not knowing where he was and he wasn't suffering. There's sharks out there -- there's all kinds of things. It was a miracle definitely it was a miracle," says Alicia Folsom, Scott's wife.
Folsom who is a pharmaceutical salesman is a dive master who has more than 32 years of diving experience.
