Thursday off the shore of North Topsail Beach, two persons needed to be rescued from the Atlantic Ocean, and a 14-year-old kid is still missing in New River Inlet, according to Town Manager Alice Derian. Derian did not say anything more about the youngster that went missing, when he vanished, or if he was in the inlet with other people. Strong currents are known to exist in the New River Inlet, which is near the mouth of the New River at the northern tip of Topsail Island. Signs alerting swimmers to the danger are erected along the beach.
The two that were saved fared well. WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell reports that there is a high risk of rip currents along the entire North Carolina coast on Thursday and will continue to be so through Friday.
There were 35 rip current rescues at Wrightsville Beach and 35 at Carolina Beach on Thursday, according to reports from New Hanover County. The Coast Guard, Wilmington Police Department, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office responded to a probable drowning near Kure Beach, according to WECT.