Powerful waves slam Outer Banks ferry, leaving passengers fearing for their safety

OCRACOKE, N.C. (WWAY) — What was supposed to be a routine ferry ride turned into a frightening experience for a North Carolina family as powerful waves repeatedly crashed over their vehicle during a weekend coastal storm.

Megan Lawing, who lives outside Charlotte, captured video Saturday, Oct. 17, showing waves pounding the front of the Ocracoke-to-Hatteras ferry as she, her husband and their two sons attempted to leave the Outer Banks ahead of worsening weather.

The family originally planned to leave Ocracoke on Sunday using the Swan Quarter ferry. However, with strong winds expected, they decided to leave a day early.

Lawing said they arrived at the ferry terminal Saturday morning and waited several hours before finally boarding around 12:30 p.m.

They ended up in the front row of what Lawing said was the last ferry departing that day.

“We were glad to be on at the time, but then once we got on, it was… it was pretty bad. We were like, maybe we should have waited this out,” Lawing said.

About 15 minutes into the 70-minute crossing, the family noticed saltwater spraying onto their vehicle.

But conditions quickly deteriorated.

“We get to about 20 minutes, 30 minutes in, and as the video showed, it was like pounding us with waves for 20 to 30 minutes,” Lawing said.

As the waves continued crashing over the front of the ferry, Lawing and her husband tried to remain calm for their two young sons sitting in the back seat.

The situation became even more frightening when they noticed another passenger’s vehicle had been damaged.

“We looked over to our side, and the car beside of us, she started honking, and we saw that her windshield had cracked, and water was starting to come in inside of her windshield,” Lawing recalled.

“And that’s when we got really concerned. And so, we started holding on to our windshield to make sure that it didn’t come crashing in on us.”

Lawing said the woman in the neighboring vehicle repeatedly called for help as waves continued striking the ferry.

Eventually, ferry workers reached the woman and helped her out of the damaged vehicle.

Lawing said she also feared the force of the waves could cause vehicles to shift and collide with one another.

“When the waves came over and hit is whenever you just felt all this pressure on your car. It felt like it would maybe push it back or something like that,” she said.

Despite the conditions, Lawing said the ferry itself remained relatively steady throughout the crossing.

She said the waves became less severe after the ferry changed direction, allowing the family to complete the trip without injuries.

Lawing has been visiting Ocracoke annually for 18 years and said she has never experienced anything like Saturday’s crossing.

“We assumed, you know, that if the ferry was operating, that it was safe, and so you kind of had that in the back of your head, that we’re gonna be okay,” she said.

“But then that happens beside of you, and then your panic really set in.”

The dangerous conditions came as a powerful offshore storm brought strong winds and rough seas to the North Carolina coast over the weekend.

Although Lawing and her family made it through the crossing safely, she said the experience has changed how they will approach future ferry trips.

“I know we’re going to definitely check the weather before we go on another ferry,” Lawing said.

She added that her family still loves visiting Ocracoke and hopes to return, although their next ferry ride may come with some anxiety.

The family escaped the ordeal unharmed, but Lawing said the experience is one they will never forget.