4 Kayaks In Distress
Just prior to 12:00 noon today, Oak Island Water Rescue, Oak Island Fire Department, Oak Island Police Department, and Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol were dispatched to “The Point” at the west end of Oak Island for a report of four kayakers in distress. The information from the 911 caller was that four kayakers were pulled out of Lockwoods Folly Inlet and into the open ocean.
We responded with 4481, 4482 (4×4 pickups), and Boat 4491, our older surf launch boat. We utilized 4482 to drive around the point to observe the Eastern Channel, the actual inlet, and the open ocean. We also had a crew at the station ready to respond with Boat 4490 (larger IRB-inflatable rigid hull boat) should it be needed. Luckily we had two team members who were kayaking the Eastern Channel in that area. They were able to quickly determine that there were three kayakers on Sheep Island who had attempted to go out through the inlet but turned around due to rough conditions.
They made a great decision to return to more sheltered water. As often occurs on our call outs, there is various and sometimes conflicting information that must be sorted through by the incident commander in order to ensure a successful outcome. In this case, we had a report that the four Kayaks had safely made it to Sheep Island (although we only initially located three) and another witness who was sure that the four kayaks had not made it back through the inlet and were near Holden Beach. As it turns out, both were correct. There were actually eight kayaks.
We did observe four kayaks on the Holden Beach sand bar, on the west side on the inlet, so we made the decision to launch Boat 4491 to check on them. When Boat 4491 arrived at the sand bar, they learned that the group was a kayak class and they were in no distress. All had helmets, PFDs and two marine VHF radios. Kudos to the group for being well prepared.
This incident involved the successful coordination between multiple public safety agencies and required that we fully investigate all witness reports to ensure that we accounted for each kayaker. It is important that we mention a Small Craft Advisory was due to go into effect at 2:00 pm due to strong winds and increased surf. There was also an outgoing/falling tide which pulls like a strong river through the Lockwoods Folly Inlet. On a good day the LFI can be challenging, and much more so during today’s conditions. When planning a kayak trip, always check the marine weather forecast and tide charts. Rather than fighting the tide, use the tides to your favor. It makes for a much more enjoyable, and safer, adventure.
