Swimmer dies after being pulled from water in Surf City

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) — An adult man died Wednesday afternoon after being pulled from the water in Surf City, according to town officials.

The Town of Surf City said it received reports of a distressed swimmer at approximately 3:30 p.m. in the 400 block of North Shore Drive close to Beach Access 15.

Bystanders detected that something was wrong and swam out to the victim where they found him unconscious in the water.

When first responders arrived, bystanders had already started administering CPR to the swimmer who had been removed from the water according to Chief Allen Wilson with the Surf City Fire Department.

“We continued to do life-saving support until EMS arrived,” Wilson said.

Wilson said it appears the swimmer had some type of issue in the water which may have been a medical emergency.

“Unfortunately, all those life-saving measures that we attempted were not successful,” Wilson said.

Despite the efforts of first responders, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

When asked if the beach conditions may have been a factor, Wilson said “I wouldn’t say that it was any rougher or any more dangerous than a normal day at the beach.”

Officials said the cause of the swimmer’s distress remains unknown and the incident is under investigation. The man’s identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.