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 around 3:30 p.m. in the 400 block of North Shore Drive, near Beach Access 15.

People who were with the man noticed something was wrong and swam out to him, where they found him unconscious in the water.

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

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

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

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

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

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

While Wilson commended bystanders for their efforts, he cautioned people against putting themselves at risk during a water rescue.

“You really should be a strong swimmer,” Wilson said. “You should take a flotation device with you if you’re going to attempt a rescue like that.”

Surf City has bystander rescue devices available at each public beach access for that purpose.

Wilson said if someone is caught in a rip current, the best thing to do is swim parallel to the shoreline.

“Anyone who wants to go swimming should be diligent in their actions and don’t swim alone,” he said. “Try to swim with buddies and partners and stay with each other.”

Unlike Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach, Surf City does not have designated areas with lifeguards stationed on stands watching swimmers in the water.

“Our guards roam the beach in UTVs and ATVs,” Wilson said.

Four guards were on the beach at the time of the incident.

“Unfortunately, it happened when somebody was not right there,” Wilson said.

While officials want people to enjoy the beach, they also want swimmers to be aware of the risks.

“Pay attention to the weather, pay attention to the ocean condition flags that fly at every beach access, and don’t swim alone,” Wilson said. “Try to swim with a group so if something does happen, there are other people there to assist.”

Hampstead resident Len Dempsey said the beach can be deceptive.

“If you didn’t know what was happening, like in retrospect, you don’t realize, oh it looks so innocent, it’s so inviting,” Dempsey said. “You know, and anybody can make that mistake so I really think that caution needs to be, people really need to check. Look at the water tides, get any kind of like online thing that can tell them hey, today is not a good day.”

Wilson also reminded beachgoers never to mix alcohol with swimming.

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.