Water rescues, searches and drownings on the North and South Carolina coast. Compiled from Coast Guard releases, National Weather Service alerts, county agencies and regional newsrooms.
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The Coast Guard rescued 5 people and a dog from a shrimp boat in Myrtle Beach on Wednesday. The vessel had washed ashore during Hurricane Ian in 2022.
A man fled a traffic stop in Myrtle Beach on Friday and jumped into a pond. Police took him into custody; the source does not state whether he required rescue or what condition he was in.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescued five people and a dog from a commercial shrimping vessel taking on water near Winyah Bay jetties on Wednesday. All were safely recovered by the Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter…
A fishing boat struck the jetties in Winyah Bay near the lighthouse in Georgetown County on Wednesday. The U.S. Coast Guard responded; no injuries were reported.
A 33-year-old woman from Conway was found dead in the surf near Pawleys Island Pier on Wednesday. The Georgetown County Coroner described the circumstances as suspicious, with an autopsy scheduled.
A body was recovered in the water near Wacca Wache Marina in Murrells Inlet.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two passengers Saturday after their 55-foot vessel began taking on water near the Charleston jetties. Both passengers were safely rescued by a Coast Guard Charleston boat crew.
Authorities are searching for Nathaniel Bane, a Harnett County man missing since Sept. 12 from Bald Head Island Marina.
A college student rescued a 3-year-old boy with autism who was clinging to a branch in swift water near Myrtle Beach. Police credited the student's actions with preventing a tragic outcome.
A paramotor craft made an emergency landing in the ocean off Oak Island on Tuesday, Sept. 1st after a cable became lodged in the propeller. The pilot and craft were brought safely to shore by first responders.
The body of a 5-year-old who went missing on Sunday was found Monday morning in waters near Pawleys Island by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources agents at approximately 9:45 a.m.
A man was rescued from the Cape Fear River on Sunday night after jumping from the Isabel Holmes Bridge in Wilmington. Police negotiation and dialogue assisted in the rescue.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two people from a boat that had run aground near Bulls Bay on Monday. Both individuals were transported by helicopter.
A search is underway for a boater who went underwater after a boat collided with a log on the Waccamaw River near Murrells Inlet on Wednesday morning around 10 a.m. The boater was not wearing a life jacket.
Dale Griffin, 60, Nash County EMS Director, drowned at a Carteret County beach in North Carolina this weekend. His body was escorted in a procession Sunday afternoon.
A 47-year-old man from Georgia died after helping a child who was struggling in a rip current in the ocean near 4th Avenue South in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Horry County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as…
A water-related fatality occurred Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 5, off a beach in front of Hatteras village, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore. National Seashore rangers responded.
Two people were rescued from a 20-foot vessel beached south of the Winyah Bay jetties on Tuesday. U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston crews from Station Georgetown responded to assist.
Five people were safely rescued from a 42-foot fishing boat after an engine fire broke out approximately 2.5 miles off the coast of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday. All occupants were rescued without…
A 41-year-old man from Ohio died Tuesday while attempting to save a child from the surf at Isle of Palms Beach. Authorities are urging caution due to moderate rip current risk along the South Carolina coast.
U.S. Coast Guard crews discovered an unmanned vessel circling Charleston Harbor on Monday. One person was rescued from the water by a good Samaritan before Coast Guard arrival.
An adult male swimmer was pulled from the water in Surf City, N.C. on July 15 at 3:30 p.m. after reports of distress. The man was pronounced dead despite CPR performed by a bystander and emergency personnel.
A woman was rescued at North Topsail Beach Access Three on Friday, June 26th after being swept nearly a mile offshore in a no-swim zone inlet. North Topsail Beach personnel responded to the rescue.
A man was rescued Monday after his sailboat became disabled approximately 100 miles off the Charleston coast. The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched crews and the Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous took the disabled vessel under tow.
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a missing swimmer near the jetties on Friday afternoon. A body was recovered from the water with assistance from Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Rescue.
Sullivan's Island Fire Department responded to 3 rip current rescues in a little over an hour this week, prompting beach safety warnings across the Lowcountry. Multiple rip current rescues have been prevalent across the area.
Sullivan's Island Fire and Rescue responded to multiple swimmer-related calls on Wednesday due to strong currents, coastal winds, and rough surf. A moderate rip current risk alert was issued for Thursday.
A 24-year-old man from Laurinburg is missing in the water at North Topsail Beach after attempting to rescue his stepdaughter from a current. Search efforts are ongoing into their second day.
One swimmer died and two others were rescued from the water near Folly Beach pier on Wednesday after emergency crews responded to reports of three swimmers in distress.
33 rip current rescues occurred at North Carolina beaches near Wilmington over Memorial Day weekend, including 25 rescues at Carolina Beach and 8 at Wrightsville Beach. High rip-current risk extended from the Outer Banks to…
Sullivan's Island Fire and Rescue responded to 9 swimmers in distress due to strong currents at Station 16 on Saturday around 4:43 p.m. Eight swimmers were rescued and one was unconscious at the time of rescue.
A missing windsurfer was found alive in Pamlico Sound on Thursday morning by a local fisherman, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina.
Joan Ramon Ortega, 33, of Goose Creek was pulled unresponsive from the ocean at Folly Beach and died Sunday at James Island Emergency Department. The Charleston County Coroner's Office identified him on Wednesday.
A vessel capsized off Ocracoke Island on Saturday morning, April 4. The U.S. Coast Guard released an update that evening with additional details.
Four people were rescued from a disabled sailboat in an active shipping lane near Charleston jetties on Saturday morning. Marine crews from St. John's Fire District, Charleston Fire Department, and U.S. Coast Guard responded to…
A Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew rescued one person and one dog near Winyah Bay on February 14, 2026. The rescue was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District.
The Coast Guard rescued five people from a sailboat that was taking on water 260 nautical miles offshore Cape Hatteras on Thursday. All five people were rescued.
The Coast Guard and Currituck County emergency services rescued three missing children who were kayaking near Corolla, North Carolina, on Wednesday night.
A 32-foot vessel named Pura Vida grounded on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore south of off-road vehicle ramp 38 after 4 a.m. No injuries were reported to the person aboard.
The Coast Guard and National Park Service rescued a mariner after his vessel ran aground near Shackleford Banks, North Carolina, on Monday night.
A 67-year-old man from New York died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean near Ramp 49 in Frisco, North Carolina on Hatteras Island. Resuscitation measures were attempted on the beach but were unsuccessful.
The Coast Guard rescued two mariners from their 32-foot sailboat Walrus, which was sinking approximately 103 miles east of Wilmington, North Carolina on Tuesday, January 29, 2025. The mariners called for help after their vessel…
The Coast Guard rescued three mariners from a sailing vessel affected by weather on Thursday morning, 154 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. All three were successfully recovered.
The Coast Guard rescued four people from a disabled 27-foot vessel near Oregon Inlet on Monday. The vessel was at anchor and taking on water due to rough sea conditions.
Coast Guard medevaced an 85-year-old woman from the cruise ship Carnival Venezia on October 7, 2024. The woman was experiencing stroke-like symptoms approximately 98 miles off Cape Lookout, North Carolina.
A Coast Guard Station Charleston boat crew rescued two people after their vessel collided with the Charleston jetties at the entrance to Charleston Harbor on Wednesday, September 26, 2024.
The Coast Guard and good Samaritans rescued a missing 54-year-old male diver on Monday, 24 miles east of Bald Head Island, North Carolina. The diver was brought to safety by the combined rescue effort.
A boat ran aground near Fripp Island, South Carolina on Sunday. The Coast Guard and Beaufort County Marine Rescue assisted five people and a dog.
A 35-year-old male diver drifted away from his vessel while diving 75 miles offshore Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah aircrew rescued him on Friday, June 1, 2024.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two men after their 30-foot fishing vessel capsized 34 miles offshore Charleston on Tuesday, December 20, 2023. Both men were rescued and the incident was completed successfully.
A Coast Guard Station Georgetown boat crew rescued two people from the water on Friday, October 14, 2023, in the vicinity of the Winyah Bay entrance near Georgetown, South Carolina.
The Coast Guard medevaced a man from a survey vessel on Sunday, October 8, 2023, located 51 miles offshore Charleston, South Carolina. The man was rescued and removed from the vessel.
A 42-foot vessel named Turn Back grounded on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore north of Oregon Inlet after 7:30 a.m. Three people were aboard with no reported injuries.
A 68-year-old man from Hillsboro, Ohio died in a water-related incident off southern Hatteras Island at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The incident occurred this morning.
A 28-year-old woman from Washington, D.C., died in a water-related incident in front of the village of Avon at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
A vessel recently grounded on the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Hatteras and Frisco. A crane operator is removing the vessel from the beach, requiring a two-hour closure of the northbound lane of N.C. Highway 12.
On May 28th, an accident involving three individuals in a rented boat occurred in the ocean south of Shackleford Banks, resulting in a fatality.
A 30-foot catamaran named the Katalyst grounded near the north end of Oregon Inlet at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Multiple passengers were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard prior to the grounding.
Three vessels grounded on beaches at Cape Hatteras National Seashore over ten days. All people aboard each vessel reached the beach safely with no reported injuries.
Two fishing vessels grounded on a beach north of Oregon Inlet at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. All five passengers aboard the vessels made it safely to shore.
A 55-foot yacht named the Vivens Aqua grounded at Cape Hatteras National Seashore near the south end of Ocracoke Island. No information on crew status or rescue response is provided.
A 37-foot sailing vessel named the Alhambra grounded just north of the Avon Fishing Pier at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Dec. 11, 2021. The source states it grounded safely, but provides no information on crew status or…
Commercial fishing vessel F/V Jonathan Ryan grounded at Cape Hatteras National Seashore near off-road vehicle ramp 48. National Park Service staff are monitoring the vessel.
A 55-year-old male from Horse Shoe, N.C. died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean near the northern entrance to Buxton at Cape Hatteras National Seashore this morning.
A 20-year-old male from Louisville, Kentucky died after his kayak capsized near Haulover Sound Access at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The incident occurred in Pamlico Sound between the villages of Avon and Buxton.
A 46-year-old male from Falls Church, Virginia died in an apparent drowning at the south end of Hatteras Island. The incident occurred last evening.
A body of a male was found on a Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach between Salvo and Avon at 9:14 a.m. The discovery was reported by a local resident.
A 65-year-old male from Chester Heights, PA died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off a beach on Ocracoke Island at Cape Hatteras National Seashore this morning.
A 16-year-old male from Oak Ridge, North Carolina received a non-life-threatening shark injury in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore at approximately 4:00 p.m. yesterday. The injury was not life-threatening.
An 18-year-old male from Ripley, West Virginia was reported missing in Pamlico Sound near Haulover Sound Access at 2:00 p.m. Multiple agencies responded to search for the missing swimmer.
Enrique Roman-Martinez, 21, was last seen on May 22, 2020 at his campsite near mile marker 46 on South Core Banks at Cape Lookout National Seashore. The National Park Service is conducting a missing person search.
Dare County resident Jeffrey Del Monte performed an ocean rescue of two children in Frisco, North Carolina. The incident occurred due to rip current risks.
A 26-year-old male surfer from Manteo received a non-life-threatening injury, possibly from a shark, off Cape Hatteras National Seashore this afternoon.
A 75-year-old male from Downsville, New York died in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Hatteras, North Carolina this afternoon.
A 61-year-old male from Virginia died in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Hatteras Village, North Carolina.
A 60-year-old male went missing while swimming near Oregon Inlet. United States Coast Guard search efforts have been suspended.
A 53-year-old male from Ohio died in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Buxton, North Carolina.
The shrimp trawler Big John from Wanchese, NC was found overturned and broken apart half a mile north of Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Frisco at approximately 5:20 am. NPS Rangers, U.S. Coast Guard, and Hatteras Island…
A 63-year-old male from New York died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Rodanthe, North Carolina.
A 48-year-old male from New York died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Avon, North Carolina.
A 55-year-old male from Massachusetts died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Ramp 70 on Ocracoke Island. Resuscitation measures were attempted on the beach but were unsuccessful.
A 55-year-old male died while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore this morning. Resuscitation attempts by a bystander and emergency responders were unsuccessful.
A 79-year-old male was found floating in the ocean off Cape Hatteras National Seashore near Buxton. A bystander brought him to shore and attempted resuscitation, but efforts were unsuccessful.
A 64-year-old male was found floating face down near Frisco Pier at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on October 8, 2017 at 3:55 p.m. Dare County EMS initiated resuscitation efforts but was unable to revive the man.
A male surfer was found floating face-down in the water north of Rodanthe at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on September 21, 2017. He had a surfboard attached to his ankle.
The body of an unidentified male was discovered by Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff near Buxton, North Carolina on September 13, 2017 at 7:05 am. The source does not indicate how the body came to be there or whether water…
A swimming-related fatality occurred off Ocracoke Island's Pony Pen beach access at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Monday, August 14, at approximately 5:10 pm.
An adult male required CPR on the beach in Frisco, North Carolina at 12:33 pm. The National Park Service, Hatteras Island Rescue Squad, Dare County EMS, and Dare County Sheriff's Office responded to a swimming-related fatality.
A 17-year-old male from Thailand was reported missing on June 6, 2017, after his boogie board was found washed ashore near ramp 49 in Frisco. His body was found by NPS staff on the beach east of ramp 48 on the morning of June 7,…
National Park Service Rangers responded to a report of an unresponsive male near Ramp 34 in Avon, North Carolina at approximately 2:00 am on Monday, April 10. Upon arrival on the beach, Rangers discovered a deceased male…
A 32-year-old Buxton resident died while surfing off Old Lighthouse Beach outside Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Saturday, January 21, 2017.
On October 13, a 16-year-old and 17-year-old were pulled into the ocean by strong rip currents off a Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach in Waves, NC. The 16-year-old returned safely to shore and was hospitalized; the body of…
A 55-year-old male was caught in a rip current and pulled into the ocean off a Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach in Salvo on October 2. His body was found south of Ramp 23.
A 35-year-old man drowned at Cape Lookout National Seashore on Monday. The National Park Service issued a water-safety reminder following the fatality.
On June 27, 2015, around 4:00 p.m., an injured person was reported on a beach near Waves, NC, and multiple Dare County EMS units responded. The nature and severity of the injury are not stated in the source.
A person was injured by a shark approximately one mile north of the Avon Fishing Pier in Avon, NC on June 26, 2015 at 11:41 a.m. The National Park Service received the report from the Dare County Sheriff's Office 911 Center.
A park visitor to Ocracoke Island was injured by a shark south of Ramp 72 in Cape Hatteras National Seashore on July 19, 2011 at approximately 5:30 p.m. The National Park Service received the report from the Hyde County Sheriff's…
A Virginia man drowned at Cape Lookout National Seashore. The incident occurred in the Atlantic Ocean at the national seashore.