EMERALD ISLE, N.C. — Four swimmers were pulled from rough waters off of a Crystal Coast beach Sunday afternoon, authorities said, one of them unconscious.
Emerald Isle Fire Chief Bill Walker told Channel 9 affiliate WCTI that a call came in shortly after 2 p.m. about four people in the water who needed help. Walker said surfers were able to pull three of the swimmers safely to shore immediately.
The fourth person, a 48-year-old man from Jacksonville, was later brought to shore by a surfer.
Walker told WCTI that that person was unconscious when he was brought to the beach. Emergency Medical Services personnel performed CPR on the man and took him to Carteret Health Care.
He was in serious condition.
Posted by Emerald Isle Fire Department on Sunday, May 19, 2019
The Emerald Isle Fire Department announced on Facebook on Sunday morning it was implementing yellow flags at its beaches for riptide conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for that portion of the North Carolina coast earlier in the day.
The rescues come after five people have drowned over the past couple of weeks. Two teens drowned in Emerald Isle before a Camp Lejeune Marine also lost his life. Earlier this week, two people drowned at a beach in Atlantic Beach.
The three drownings at Emerald Isle beaches prompted the town to implement improved measures to ensure water safety.
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