Take a Look: Oak Island Water Rescue practices mud rescue techniques in preparation for summer season

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — Over the past week, members of the Oak Island Water Rescue have been working hard to perfect their mud rescue techniques.

Team members used walking boots, mud walking boards and practiced pulling a victim through the mud on a stretcher.

The group also performed indoor exercises on their hovercraft to learn the best methods to transfer victims from the craft to a larger boat.

Oak Island Water Rescue received the hovercraft in January of 2021 and have been practicing on it ever since. Former Chief Tony Young said last year the crafts have allowed them to go places they couldn’t go before.

“We got it so we can go back into the marshes, in the areas where we can’t go with the boat and we’ve also found out in the past that we can’t walk there either because the mud’s too soft,” Young said.

Oak Island Water Rescue says the techniques are useful when they are called upon to rescue people stuck in a creek at low tide or when a skydiver ends up in the mud.

That came into play just last month three people who were kayaking in a marsh at Oak Island had to be rescued after getting stuck in the mud.

When the hovercraft arrived at the scene, they found three victims, two of which were stuck in the mud chest high. None of the victims had submerged in the water.

“Our hovercraft and crew got a little muddy in the process, but that is a very small price to pay for such a great ending,” according to the OIWR website.

Mud in coastal marshes can pose a danger because it is super soft and filled with oyster beads and sharp shells.

Oak Island Water Rescue is a non-profit and relies on donations to fund equipment upgrades and purchase new equipment like the hovercraft. If you would like to donate or learn more about the organization, visit their website.