Rough waters forces lifeguards to hit the stand after Labor Day
KURE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — There was another almost-deadly reminder to heed the warnings this weekend. Sunday, two people were rescued from choppy surf near the Kure Beach Pier. This is the same area were two people died last week.
Mike Gans was on the Kure Beach Fishing Pier Sunday, when he saw two swimmers getting pulled out to sea. He called 911 and then snapped photos.
Kure Beach Ocean Rescue Seasonal Lifeguard Blake Farris, who joined this rescue after receiving the dispatch call, says a young man and woman were rescued.
“When I first pulled up to it, I saw our first lifeguard, Matt, was already out there and gave them a can so I already knew they were safe,” Farris said. “He was swimming parallel to the rip current so, I just knew to go ahead, get in there and help him get out.”
Farris says, even though the waters were violent, rescues are second nature to him. He says ‘the can’ also known as a buoy was the most useful resource in this effort.
“It’s a flotation device that you give to them and they hang on to,” Farris said. “So, when I swam in, I give one to him, he handled that and we linked up to make it easier to swim…that way one person isn’t doing all the work.”
The fire department checked them out on the beach. They did not seek additional medical attention.
Ocean Rescue Director JD Lanier calls it a picture perfect rescue.
“My guard was sitting there watching them,” Lanier said. “He knew that it was probably going to be a rescue, but he was just giving a minute to see what was going on. Then, he finally decided that they need help. [So, he went] in and he got a family member to call 911.”
Lanier says he’s keeping at least two lifeguards at the beach on weekends, despite the standard protocol of removing them after Labor Day. He says he plans to continue to do so until the end of the month.
“It’s just been super nice out,” Lanier said. “The water has been really nice and inviting until Saturday. The wind kind of switched, picked up and looked like a wash machine yesterday.”
One Kure Beach Pier clerk says he’s witnessed quite a few of these recent rescues and the choppy waters is having another impact.
“We’ve been getting a really nice northeast wind in and [people] have been catching a lot of spot because that brings the bait fish in,” Jackson Sneave said.
Sneave says people have been spending hours fishing and leaving the pier with 200 spots at a time.
But, despite the fishing impact, getting into the water should not be considered.
“It’s still pretty bad,” Sneave said. “I would not recommend swimming.”
“Stay out of the water,” Lanier said. “It’s just not worth it.”
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