Child saved from water as rip currents remain risk on NC coast ahead of holiday weekend
At least one child was rescued from the waters off North Carolina as rip currents continue to pose a risk for swimmers ahead of the holiday weekend.
Oak Island Water Rescue said it responded to a beach at about noon Thursday after receiving reports that a child was pulled from the water and onto the sand. It turns out, beachgoers had saved one or more children from a rip current, the rescue group wrote in a Facebook post.
Officials didn’t share the condition of the child but said: “Thankfully tragedy was averted.”
Oak Island, roughly 35 miles southwest of Wilmington, is among the parts of the North Carolina coast where dangerous waters remain a risk on Friday, according to rescuers.
The National Weather Service has warned of the potential for rip currents through Friday night in coastal Brunswick, Carteret, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender counties — all in the southeastern part of the state. There are also alerts for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on the Outer Banks, a series of barrier islands off the shores of North Carolina.
The areas are also at risk for longshore currents, which run parallel to the beach and have the potential to pull swimmers into rip currents and near piers, according to forecasters.
“Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water,” the weather service’s Newport/Morehead City office said. “Strong longshore currents will create dangerous swimming conditions.”
If you get caught in a rip current, try to swim parallel to the beach until you get out of it, McClatchy News reported.
“Always let a lifeguard make a rip current rescue, because often, the people that try to make rescues themselves end up being the ones who drown,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on its website. “Instead, the best way to help is to throw them something that floats and immediately get a lifeguard for help.”
Also in Eastern North Carolina, some areas could see up to 3 inches of rain on Friday. Forecasters said flooding and strong winds are possible as storms are expected to move through the area.
Skies are likely to clear for Fourth of July weekend, when high temperatures are expected to be in the 80s and 90s.
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Child saved from water as rip currents remain risk on NC coast ahead of holiday weekend."
