Officials report more than 200 water rescues since July 4th
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — As the search for a missing swimmer in Kure Beach continues, officials are reporting more than 200 water rescues over the holiday weekend.
Between the 4th of July on Thursday and Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service says lifeguards reported a total of 214 ocean rescues. A breakdown of those numbers is below:
- 117 at Wrightsville Beach
- 75 at Carolina Beach
- 14 at Kure Beach
- 6 at Surf City
- 2 at Sunset Beach
Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Captain Sam Proffitt said if you find yourself in a rip current, do not panic.
“My number one recommendation is always take some kind of floatation with you,” he said. “So if you do find yourself in a rip, you have something to hold on to. You know, don’t panic, don’t let go of the floatation, just wait and that rip current will gradually reside when it gets to deeper water.”
Proffitt added that this year’s rescue numbers are likely higher than last year’s due to a swell that caused red flag conditions for much of the week.
