Two surfers rescued four novice swimmers from a rip current near Johnny Mercer’s Pier on Friday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. Trey Lewis and his friend Deaton Wright brought the swimmers to shore using their surfboards. Wrightsville Beach rescue personnel treated the swimmers at the scene.
“We were just surfing and we were about to come in when I heard some shouting and yelling,” Lewis said. “I looked over and saw those kids way more far out than they should have been. I immediately paddled over and when we got there, they were under the water, bobbing up and down, just gasping for air.”
Lewis said three of the victims were in their early teens and one was in his 20s.
Lewis was unable to pull all three victims to shore simultaneously, so he rescued them one by one.
“I wasn’t getting there fast enough because there was too much weight,” he said.
Wright left his surfboard with three of the victims, and then swam to retrieve the fourth.
“He went to get the fourth kid without a board. He was treading water with him to keep him above the water,” Lewis said.
While three victims huddled around Wright’s surfboard, Lewis swam to Wright and the victim with his own board. Then, Lewis and Wright put the victim on Lewis’ board. Lewis pulled the victim to shore using the board’s leash, and Wright returned to the other three victims and his surfboard.
“I got them secured on the board and made sure they had something to float on,” Lewis said. “I put all three on his board and I proceeded to paddle in.”
After pulling the first teenager to shore, Lewis swam to Wright’s board with his own board in tow to rescue a second teenager.
Then, Lewis and Wright towed the 20-something to shore together. Lewis pulled the board with his leash and Wright pushed from behind.
As Lewis and Wright pulled the third victim to shore, a man on the beach swam to the fourth victim and stayed with him until lifeguards rescued him.
Lewis estimates the rescue took one-half hour.
“Everyone was fine,” he said.
Lewis said he hopes that other beachgoers will learn from the victims he rescued and exercise caution while swimming, particularly when currents are strong.
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