OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WECT) – Oak Island Fire Department, Police Department and Water Rescue crews responded to a beach access at Barbee Boulevard on Wednesday, June 19, at 3:36 p.m.

“Within three (3) minutes, crews from the Fire Department arrived at the area and were able to locate two youths on a single paddleboard, approximately 2,000 feet from the shore. The Drone Unit was deployed and able to communicate with the paddleboarders utilizing the camera and onboard speaker. They were not in distress, and remained calm, but were unable to return to shore due to strong winds and currents,” a town announcement states.

OIWR Unit 4491 was launched from the beach and retrieved the paddleboarders with on-water assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Ocean Rescue Unit PWC on standby at Barbee Blvd. The rescue lasted about 20 minutes, and the children were returned to a parent.

You can learn more about beach safety on the town’s website.

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