Swimmers struggling in waters off NC rescued by Coast Guard member on beach trip
Three men were in the waters off North Carolina when they got caught in a rip current and struggled to swim on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Luckily, the tense situation caught the eye of a beachgoer whose sister served in the U.S. Coast Guard, spokesperson Lt. John Packard told McClatchy News.
When Petty Officer Second Class Jennifer Williamson spotted the swimmers in distress, officials said she rushed into the water.
“She immediately just jumped into action,” Packard said. “She started running out to the water. She grabbed a boogie board that she found on shore. And basically when(she) was in the deeper water, she used the boogie board to get out to them.”
Williamson soon reached the men, who were having trouble staying afloat, WECT reported.
She told the group to avoid swimming against the rip current and helped each man get about 100 to 150 yards back to shore. Back on land, the swimmer who had been struggling the most coughed up water, officials said.
But after relaxing, the Coast Guard said the rescued men ended up being OK.
It turns out Williamson wasn’t on duty and had just been visiting the beach with friends and family.
“My adrenaline just took over… my training that I had with Coast Guard is what got me where I needed to go to help them,” Williamson, who is based in Wrightsville Beach, told WECT.
The whole ordeal happened at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, which includes almost 6 miles of beachfront. The park is in southeastern North Carolina and roughly 20 miles from Wilmington.
Over the weekend, the National Weather Service had warned of rip current risks from Tropical Storm Ana. Forecasters urged swimmers to stay out of the waters along the North Carolina coast on Sunday.
Rip currents are channels of water that can pull swimmers away from shore. If you get caught in one, it’s best to stay calm and swim parallel to the shoreline until you get out of the current, McClatchy News reported.
“I think it was great that (a Coast Guard member) was out there at the right place, at the right time to be able to assist in this,” Packard said. “She took it upon herself to go make this rescue herself. She relied upon her experience in the Coast Guard as well as her strong swimming abilities to be able to help these three gentlemen out.”
Boy pulled from ocean was barely alive — then 2 nurses rushed over, NC family says
8-year-old floating on unicorn raft rescued a half-mile from shore, NC officials say
