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Coast Guard rescues drowning man off North Carolina beach

Posted at 3:05 PM, Jun 26, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-26 15:05:35-04

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Two Coast Guardsmen helped rescue a man from drowning at Wrightsville Beach Monday evening.

According to the Coast Guard, Petty Officer 3rd Class Forrest Jones and Fireman Kyle Boeckmann, both boat crew members at Station Wrightsville Beach, were standing on the station’s pier at 8:25 p.m. when they heard someone calling for help.

The two men grabbed a life ring and ran down the beach, where they found a group of people trying to rescue a drowning man from the water. Jones and Boeckmann threw their life ring, entered the water and carried the swimmer up the beach, where they helped the man’s friends call 911 and administer CPR.

The man regained a pulse and consciousness after about five minutes, the Coast Guard said. He was then taken to the hospital by the Ocean Rescue Squad and the Wrightsville Beach Police Department.

“This situation could have gone very differently if we weren’t in the right place at the right time,” Boeckmann said. “Fortunately, we also have the first aid training we needed to help.”

“When we showed up, he didn’t have a heartbeat and wasn’t breathing,” Jones said. “By the time we left, he was standing upright. It makes me feel good knowing we were able to help him.”