First Hovercraft Rescue – 2 Children and Father Stuck in the Mud
Overview/Commentary
As you may know, we had a very interesting rescue this afternoon of 3 people stuck in the mud following a kayaking incident. This was the exact scenario we planned for when we acquired, via a very generous donation, our hovercraft last year. Tidal marshes and swamps can be great places to kayak, but care must be taken to monitor the tides. When the tide goes out, all (or nearly all) of the water in these areas goes out with it. And that appears to be exactly what happened to these folks.
The tide went out, the water went away, and they were left trying to escape the mud. But it’s not regular mud, it is super soft, filled with oyster beds and sharp shells, and can act almost like quicksand. The more you move and try to get out of it, the worse things get.
Fortunately, some locals heard the screams for help and called 911. Multiple local agencies working together made this rescue possible and we are very happy to say that only minor injuries were reported. Our hovercraft and crew got a “little” muddy in the process, but that is a very small price to pay for such a great ending.
Report Details
Just after 3:00 PM, Oak Island Water Rescue, Oak Island Fire Department, Oak Island Police Department, Brunswick County EMS, and United States Coast Guard Station Oak Island were dispatched for 3-4 persons who were kayaking and now out of their kayaks and stuck in the mud/marsh in the vicinity of NE 65th St. at Yacht Dr.
Reports from Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Central Communications – CCOM (the 911 center) were that one person may be under the mud and others were calling for help. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Airboat and a second ambulance (St. James EMS) were dispatched to assist.
Oak Island Water Rescue Chief Grendze arrived and became the incident commander. Oak Island Fire Department and Oak Island Police Department quickly arrived and a unified command was established. Oak Island Water Rescue responded with the hovercraft (4493) and Boat 4490. The hovercraft launched at the 55th St. boat ramp and was guided into position by our drone and personnel on shore. The drone was able to get a close in view of the victims and determine their exact location. The hovercraft arrived at the location of the victims and found three persons, two being stuck in the mud chest high. No victims had submerged.
Boat 4490 launched from 55th St. and stationed in the Intracoastal Waterway near the entrance to the creek. The hovercraft extricated two victims and then transferred them to Boat 4490. United States Coast Guard Station Oak Island’s 29’ Small Response Boat arrived on scene in the Intracoastal Waterway as well.
The hovercraft entered the swamp a second time to rescue the third victim while Boat 4490 transported two victims to EMS waiting at the boat ramp. The third victim was extricated from the mud and transported to the boat ramp via hovercraft where EMS was waiting for their arrival.
This operation is a perfect example of the excellent interagency coordination that occurs between the many public safety agencies on Oak Island and in Brunswick County. As for Oak Island Water Rescue, our hovercraft and drone saved three lives today. With a rising tide and two victims chest deep in mud and unable to escape, this was a deadly situation.
We are grateful for our donated hovercraft, which saved the day.
