Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue (WBOR) officials estimated on Tuesday, May 26 that lifeguards saved 80 to 100 people from drowning in the ocean over the Memorial Day weekend—the largest volume of rescues in a single weekend that any official can remember.
While the lifeguards’ abilities were tested, law enforcement agencies said the weekend boating community was generally well behaved and the lack of major incidents brings to light the number of boaters who have been educated in the rules and regulations of operating on the water, said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Greg France of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
WBOR director Dave Baker said there were drowning deaths all along the North Carolina coast, but in Wrightsville Beach not a single individual was lost. Baker admitted the lack of deaths is due in part to good fortune, but he commented on the lifeguards’ capacity, saying “they’re very skilled, well-trained and dedicated to doing the right thing. It’s a testament to the program and the quality of individuals that we hire,” he added.
WBOR Capt. Jeremy Owens said most of the people who required rescue were caught in rip currents.
“Due to the high risk of drowning from rip currents,
Staff photo by Allison Breiner
With yellow warning flags flying, members of Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue watch over the Memorial Day weekend crowd on Saturday, May 23. |
(the lifeguards) were on the edge of their stands,” he said.
Lifeguards at the Stone Street stand weren’t sitting down for more than five minutes at a time because they were responding to so many incidents.
“They stepped up to the task at hand and performed admirably,” Baker said.
Baker recognized volunteer surfers’ assistance in a number of rescues, particularly the help of Jake Brandon of Wrightsville and Johnathan Richie of Leland, who is a police officer from Jacksonville, N.C.
WBOR and law enforcement officials said there was a man whose leg was badly cut by a boat’s propeller. France said the victim was climbing aboard the back of the boat when the driver turned the engine on.
Deputy C.G. Smith of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said the victim was transported by sheriff’s deputies to the USCG station on Water Street where an ambulance was called to take the victim to the hospital.
Baker said the victim had severe lacerations to the inner-thigh and lower part of the leg.
Even though people were floundering in the ocean waters and required rescue, law enforcement officials said there were no major boating incidents over the weekend. The USCG had its vessels under way for 20 to 24 hours a day during the entire four-day weekend, France said. Guardsmen frequently boarded vessels to ensure the boater was in compliance with federal laws and regulations. Law enforcement officials said no boaters had been arrested.
“The boating public has become more educated as far as regulations and what’s generally expected as far as common courtesy and navigation rules,” France said.
Sea Tow Wrightsville Beach, an on-the-water service company, reported that it responded to more than 30 incidents over the weekend.
Owner Chris Willis said some of the boat operators were underway at 7 a.m. and stayed on the water assisting boaters until after midnight.
Glenn Dildy, a company boat operator, said a 17-foot boat capsized in the Topsail Inlet and the company was called to salvage the vessel. Dildy said that inlet posed a significant threat and the USCG issued a warning aimed at preventing boaters from using it.
Most of the incidents involved boaters who had either run aground on the sand or whose engine had died and required a tow, said Brandi Hines, company marketing and sales manager. She said the company also responded to a number of jumpstarts and fuel drops.
