By Dan Bullard
Contributing Writer
Sea Tow Captain Aaron Stasiak sprung into action Saturday after being flagged-down and alerted to an overturned kayak in Banks Channel.
Stasiak found an unresponsive 78-year-old man lying face-down in the water Saturday afternoon. A passing boat’s wake was strong enough to separate the man from the kayak, so Stasiak threw a life ring to the man’s grandson, who swam from shore to assist in the rescue.
Stasiak and the grandson were able to lift the man into the Sea Tow vessel, where he began grasping for air.
“Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time. Having the assistance of other boaters in the area came in clutch as well,” said Stasiak. Those boaters who stopped to help happened to be a nurse and retired paramedic, he said.
According to Stasiak, a United States Coast Guard crew was dispatched to the scene, and the man was transferred to New Hanover Regional Medical Center and later released.
