Two family members caught in rip current die off North Carolina coast, officials say

Two people died Wednesday in the waters off North Carolina’s Oak Island and news outlets report they were members of the same family.

The two men, ages 50 and 28, were caught in rip currents, Oak Island officials told WECT. The station reports the two were a father and son visiting the beach with others members of their family.

A third member of the family had to be rescued after trying to help the struggling men, WWAY reports.

Identities of the victims have not been released.

Oak Island Water Rescue says the first drowning was reported at 1:30 p.m. near the Oak Island Pier, off the Trott Street beach access.

The rescue team arrived to find witnesses had pulled one person from the water and “medical care was being provided on the beach,” officials said.

It was then that rescuers learned another person was missing.

A search was launched, including three boats, a helicopter and drones. A body was found several hours later, officials said.

“While this incident did not conclude as we had hoped and worked hard to achieve, we are very thankful for the mutual aid response of our local, county, state, and federal partner rescue agencies,” Oak Island Water Rescue wrote on Facebook.

One of the two men pulled from the water is believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest while being given first aid, officials told WCTI.

Many of the drownings reported off North Carolina are attributed to rip currents, which pull swimmers out to sea.

“Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes,” the National Ocean Service reports.

“Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer. Panicked swimmers often try to counter a rip current by swimming straight back to shore — putting themselves at risk of drowning because of fatigue.”