This is how the sheriff's office rescued kayakers stranded in the mud

Two women were kayaking Wednesday when they got stuck in the muddy oyster beds off Oak Island, North Carolina.

Lucky for them, the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office came to their rescue, using its air boat to free the two South Carolina women around 1 p.m.

According to the sheriff's office, the two women were kayaking when they got stuck in the oyster beds around the 6400 block of East Yacht Drive in Oak Island.

Sheriff's office spokesperson Emily Flax said the two women were from Western South Carolina, but couldn't say which town.

A video shows the sheriff's office' air boat maneuvering around the muddy oyster beds before rescuing both women in blue kayaks.

Flax said the department got the air boat from Charleston police in 1999.

"I wouldn't say we use it often, but when it is needed, it certainly is a lifesaver," Flax said, adding that the department uses it often to rescue stuck kayakers and paddle boarders as well as to check on people during hurricanes.

"It's a wonderful resource, especially in our area that is surrounded by so much marsh and areas that a regular boat would not be able to access," she said.

This story was originally published June 27, 2018 at 7:18 PM.