KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — Randy Tillett is a hero. Tuesday evening started out as just a normal beach day with his family.
"Normal beach day, man, we had the family out here. We had my newborn son, pup, girl, everything. We were watching skim dude, he was skimming, we were taking the baby out there to watch him," said Tillett.
Out of nowhere, Tillett heard his wife and friends yelling for him.
“As soon as I heard them saying, hey, he's not responding, he's in the water. I jumped right up," said Tillett.
What they saw was a 19-year-old man face down in the water. While skimboarding, he hit a piling at the Avalon Pier and became unresponsive.
Tillet jumped into action to pull the teen out of the water. Others joined the effort to help and performed lifesaving actions until emergency responders arrived.
“We all started CPR. I started the chest compressions, another woman started the mouth-to-mouth, and we just kept trying our best until EMTs got there. It was very hectic, definitely a big thing for all of us to experience," said Tillett.
We now know the teen was taken to Outer Banks Hospital and then airlifted by Dare MedFlight to another hospital for treatment. Tillett had a hard time sleeping that night.
“It was scary. Honestly, the first night me and my girl didn't sleep hardly, because we were worried about the boy. Like, did we do it quick enough? Did we do enough?" said Tillett.
Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue Supervisor David Elder shared just how fast a situation like this can happen to anyone. There is a lifeguard stand at Avalon Pier, KDHOR's stand hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and this happened closer to 6 p.m.
“What we ask people to do is, if you are in conditions where it is closer to high tide and the waves are breaking on damp sand, to keep an eye on the waves coming in shore. That energy is being dissipated in an instant at the high waterline, as soon as that lip hits the sand, and if you are in that wave, you are going to have the brunt force of that brought to you," said Elder.
Tillett shared that he heard some positive news.
“Heard what was going on and that he was breathing or responding appropriately, and that made me feel better, made us both feel better," said Tillett.
Tillett would do it all over again and hopes to see the teen back out here shredding the waves again one day.
“I hope that he's doing well. I hope he gets better. Hopefully, he's able to come back out here and take over these waters. I hope so. Pray to God for him," said Tillett.
