Young man saves lives of two girls at Wrightsville Beach with use of flotation device
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Thousands of people will be spending time at beaches across the Cape Fear this summer.
Two teens at one beach are grateful for a local man’s heroic actions on Thursday.
Evan Parrish was working at Shell Island Resort in Wrightsville Beach when a woman came up asking for help.
She said two girls had been swept out into the water and were in danger.
The problem is that lifeguards are not yet on duty at Wrightsville Beach.
Parrish quickly grabbed a yellow flotation device located in front of the resort and swam out to help the girls.
He said the current carried them more than 100 yards away from shore.
“I’m just glad they’re alright, I mean, that’s the most important part, you know,” Parrish said. “I wasn’t expecting any recognition or anything like that, you know. I’m just glad they can be okay and glad that we’re able to, sort of, show how useful those flotation devices are.”
Sam Proffitt is the director of Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue.
He said this rescue could likely be the first one involving the use of a yellow flotation device since the town started using them several years ago.
Wrightsville Beach is just one of several coastal towns that have these devices placed along their beaches, but Proffitt warns people need to be careful if they attempt to help someone in a dangerous situation in the water.
“People always want to help and if they see somebody in distress, most people are going to go after and try to make a rescue,” Proffitt said. “Unfortunately, a large number of those people ultimately end up being victims and we see that more often than not, they’re the fatalities that we have in that type of situation. So if you do decide to make a rescue, you should always have some type of flotation whether this or a boogie board you have or something.”
Proffitt said 4 more flotation devices will be added along the beach on May 11th, bringing the total number to 16.
He added that if you do see someone in distress, first make sure to call 911 and then, if you feel comfortable trying to help, grab a flotation device before going into the water.
