Four boaters, dog rescued after boat capsizes near Oak Island

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — Four boaters and a dog were brought safely back to shore Monday after a boat capsized near Lockwoods Folly Inlet.

Crews from multiple agencies were called to The Point in Oak Island, at the far west end of West Beach Drive, at 2:06 p.m. after reports of a capsized boat and multiple boaters in the water.

Crews found two boaters in the water. Two other boaters and a dog had already been picked up by a passing civilian boat.

The Town of Oak Island says its Ocean Rescue Division used a rescue watercraft and the town’s new Mobile Drone Control Unit to locate and rescue the two boaters still in the water. Oak Island Water Rescue also contacted the civilian boat and retrieved the other two boaters and the dog.

Within 15 minutes of the initial call, all four boaters and the dog were brought back to shore. They were placed in the care of Brunswick County EMS for evaluation and treatment of minor or non-life-threatening injuries.

The town says the boat, a 19-foot Carolina Skiff, remains lodged in the sandbar area of Lockwoods Folly Inlet and should be considered a navigational hazard until it is professionally removed.

Boaters are urged to avoid the area with caution. If the boat becomes dislodged and washes ashore, beachgoers should not touch or interact with it.

The response included Oak Island Water Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard Station Oak Island, Tri-Beach Volunteer Fire Department, Brunswick County EMS, the Oak Island Police Department and the Oak Island Fire Department.

The town is also reminding boaters to have U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets and flotation devices for all passengers and crew in a readily accessible area, or actively worn when traveling through rough waters such as an inlet.