We Have a Hovercraft!
Mud, swamps, tidal creeks…. these very shallow areas that surround Oak Island change dramatically with the rise and fall of the tide where high grass and oyster beds make it difficult, if not impossible, for any of our three boats to access victims in those locations. If we have an Achilles heel, the marsh areas and shallow creeks would be it. Over the years we have responded to numerous call outs in those locations such as:
- Lost kayaker at night in Molasses Creek/near the lighthouse
- Person stuck in the mud in Davis Canal
- Medical emergency on Sheep Island at night
- Kayakers stranded in a creek by low tide near the old bridge
- Dump truck that went over the old bridge
- Mutual aid to search the marsh behind the Oak Island golf course
Those are just a few of the incidents where it has been a challenge for us to reach victims due to low water depth and jagged oyster beds. We have utilized our metal flat bottom boat (when there was sufficient water depth), the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office airboat, and also have access to our inflatable kayak and mud walking boards. The oyster beds can inflict damage to our two IRBs/inflatable kayak and while the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office airboat is a very useful tool, it is stored elsewhere in the county and cannot be on scene as quickly as our boats. Although we have been aware of these challenges, our operational funding has limited us in pursuing a rapid response solution to these emergency incidents.
That was until now…
In late summer of 2020, we were approached by a very generous nonprofit foundation, who has a long track record of supporting numerous other nonprofit organizations of various shapes and sizes. After seeing the hurricane damage to our station and giving very generously to that rebuilding effort, they then asked if we had any operational needs that were unmet. When they learned of our shallow water emergency response challenges, they offered to address that need by completely funding a Neoteric hovercraft.
In a future post we will explain that technology (the air cushion hovercraft literally flies above the surface of mud and water) and how it fills that gap in our response area. Today we want to share with you the construction of our new vehicle. Last night, Oak Island Water Rescue’s Neoteric hovercraft arrived at our station. Please take a moment to look through the photos to see how this American-made, hand-crafted flying machine was assembled in Terre Haute, Indiana. We look forward to explaining more in depth how this vehicle functions and benefits our guests and residents in their time of need.
Factory Training Complete
Chief Young and Assistant Chief Wilson Completed Factory Training
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