Man dies in drowning off Oak Island beach

OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WECT) - Bystanders rescued a man from the ocean at SE 70th St. near the St. James Plantation Beach Club access on Oak Island Saturday, May 21, around noon.

According to Peter Grendze with Oak Island Water Rescue, a call came in at 12:13 p.m. that a man had been pulled from the water and required medical assistance. Several emergency rescue crews responded from Oak Island, Sunny Point and Brunswick County.

On arrival, a man was receiving CPR from bystanders who said he had fallen off a boogie board into the water and had not surfaced. Rescue workers determined the man to be in his mid-sixties.

Crews moved the victim off the sand and EMS gave him advanced life support care. He was taken to hospital by Sunny Point EMS and Grendze confirmed that he died.

Grendze said it was not a rip-current related incident and that the victim appeared to have suffered from a medical emergency.

“People need to remember that when they are in the water, they are fighting currents,” said Grendze. “Water activities are strenuous exercise, which increase health risks for those who may not be physically fit.”

According to the Oak Island Water Rescue Facebook page, there was a moderate rip current risk Friday, Saturday and Sunday and multiple 911 calls were received for water rescue/drowning incidents on the island. Some people who were reported to be caught in rip currents escaped and in an emergency response to another call, a person was rescued. “There was a non-fatal drowning call on E Beach Dr. later in the afternoon,” stated the Fb post.

Click here to see live video and links to beach web cams showing real-time conditions at area beaches.

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