44 rescued from rip currents along NC coast this week

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. (WNCN) — After a holiday week in which nearly 200 were rescued from rip currents along the North Carolina coast, more than 40 have been rescued in the same waters already this week.

According to numbers reported by ocean rescue teams to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, 44 were pulled from the ocean off North Carolina’s beaches from Sunday to Tuesday, as well as one in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Like last week, the majority of the rescues happened in New Hanover County. Carolina Beach reported the most overall with 21, pulling six people out of the water on Sunday, 10 on Monday and five on Tuesday. Wrightsville Beach lifeguards had their busiest day Sunday with 12 rescues, followed by three on Tuesday. Two were also pulled from the waters off Kure Beach on Tuesday.

Further north in Pender County, lifeguards in Surf City pulled four people from rip currents on Tuesday. And on Monday, two were rescued off Sunset Beach in Brunswick County south of Wilmington.

This week’s numbers so far bring the number of reported rip current rescues off North Carolina’s coast to 240 since July 3.

Beachgoers should check for flags before entering the water or check with lifeguards for potential ocean hazards. If caught in a rip current, swimmers should swim in a direction following the shoreline or float or tread water until out of the rip current. If escape from a rip current isn’t possible, swimmers should face the shore and call or wave for help.

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