Oak Island hovercraft gets new life as educational exhibit

OAK ISLAND, NC — A hovercraft that once played a role in emergency rescues on the Cape Fear coast will soon serve a new purpose — educating museum visitors.

Oak Island Water Rescue officially decommissioned the hovercraft Tuesday evening during a brief ceremony ahead of its donation to the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.

The vehicle, which was donated anonymously around 2020, helped crews reach victims in difficult-to-access areas along the coast, including mudflats where boats and trucks couldn’t operate.

“It worked great for us. I’m really proud of the service it had,” said Oak Island Water Rescue Chief Terry Hoben. He said the craft was involved in numerous successful rescues during its time in service.

But years in the saltwater environment eventually took a toll. With the motor no longer operational, the decision was made to retire the vehicle from active duty.

The team chose to donate it to the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport, which is part of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. It will now serve as an educational exhibit to tell the story of modern-day lifesaving operations and highlight the challenges faced by coastal emergency teams.

Representatives from the museum joined members of the rescue team at the decommissioning, held at the Oak Island Water Rescue station on East Pelican Drive.

The exhibit is expected to become part of the museum’s broader efforts to preserve the history and evolution of maritime safety along the North Carolina coast.