By Chris Murray, Director | Emergency Management
GOOSE CREEK ISLAND – Northwest Winds for a couple days and then spinning in the 30-40 MPH range overnight Friday, Jan. 3 into early am of Saturday, Jan. 4 pushed a lot of water away from the north end of Pamlico County and across the Pamlico Sound.
In the Goose Creek Island area, there was a significant amount of water “blown out” resulting in several creeks and ditches with no water — just bottom material left in them. The water rescues occurred in a remote and isolated part of Oyster Creek (a tributary of the Pamlico River) near the community of Lowland. See adjacent map for the approximate location.
Five individuals (not from Pamlico County) launched their 16-foot boat in an effort to reach Pamlico Point (State Game Land Impoundments) overnight Friday for a duck hunt early Saturday morning.
Not being familiar with the area, the group confronted tidal issues and high winds, which contributed to their boat taking on water and being pushed up into a marsh area – until they could be rescued by local first responders and trained swift water rescue personnel.
Fortunately, in this potentially dangerous situation, there were no injuries — just some cold and wet individuals who needed to be plucked out of the marsh and returned to the boat ramp from where they originally launched.
This office counsels all duck hunting excursions to take great care, and use common sense during outings of this sort.
