Wilmington, NC - The United States Coast Guard rescued two missing kayakers in Pamlico Sound, south of the Oregon Inlet Sunday after nine hours of intense searching.
A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Oregon Inlet found the two men alive and conscious around 1:20 a.m., and brought them back ashore where they were both placed in the care of awaiting local EMS.
The rescue began when the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina in Wilmington responded to a distress call from one of the missing kayakers Saturday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. . The man reported one of their kayaks was submerged, and he and the other man were both in the water. Both men were found wearing life jackets, approximately nine miles southwest of the area they initially reported the distress.
On scene conditions at the time of the distress call were 22 mph winds, three-foot seas, an air temperature of 77 degrees and a water temperature of 82 degrees.
“The fact both men were wearing life jackets greatly enhanced their chances of survival tonight,” said Lt.j.g. Charlie Collins, Coast Guard Sector North Carolina command duty officer for the case. “They likely owe their lives to their decision to wear PFDs.”
Both men are approximately 26-yeas-old, and were taken to the Station Oregon Inlet for further care and treatment.
