Female Stuck on Sandbar on Bald Head Island
At 7:36 PM, officials from Bald Head Island requested mutual aid to rescue a female that was stuck on a sandbar in a creek. It was reported that she was cold and wet, and had been stuck for over 2 hours. It was a chilly evening, with temperatures in the mid-40s with a brisk north wind. It was also near low tide and we knew access to the creek would be hampered by very shallow water. This would have been an ideal rescue to use our new hovercraft, but we are not yet night trained on this vehicle and had to respond by boat.
We requested, and were immediately granted, permission to launch from the United States Coast Guard Station Oak Island ramp, as this was the nearest to the location of the emergency. We responded with boat 4490, truck 4482, and several team members.
The 2-man crew made it to Bald Head Island very quickly, and spent a significant amount of time trying to find an entrance to the creek with enough water for the boat to enter. It was just too shallow, and our crewmembers both ended up in the water themselves, pushing the boat off shoals and into deeper water. After several attempts, the boat was recalled.
Fortunately, Bald Head Island rescuers were able to reach the victim and transport her to safety while our boat was returning to the ramp.
