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Dozens of beach rescues Monday amid Hurricane Erin's dangerous rip currents

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published August 19, 2025 at 6:26 AM EDT
Screen grab of drone footage taken by Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue of three people caught in a rip current and subsequently rescued by a lifeguard.
Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue
File: Screen grab of drone footage taken by Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue of three people caught in a rip current and subsequently rescued by a lifeguard back in April.

The rip current risk is high along the North Carolina coast this week because of Hurricane Erin, and in southeastern North Carolina there have already been about 80 rip current rescues.

Officials with the National Weather Service said Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue performed 50 rip current rescues. The Surf City Fire Department also reported 15 rip current rescues.

Officials said swimmers caught in a rip current should yell for help, remain calm, and stay afloat without exhausting yourself… swim parallel to shore and back towards the beach when possible.
Annette Weston
Annette is an award-winning journalist based in Eastern North Carolina. Her career includes professional stops across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, recently culminating in a 2026 Region 8 Edward R. Murrow Award for Small Market Radio Best News Series for her work on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series. Guided by a passion for human-interest storytelling, she focuses on narratives that touch hearts and connect communities. A mother of four and grandmother of two, Annette enjoys reading and creating epic Halloween costumes in her spare time. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston