By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — With the unofficial kickoff to summer set for Memorial Day on Monday, authorities at North Carolina beaches are warning about dangerous swimming conditions.
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Leading into Memorial Day, there were dozens of North Carolina coast ocean rescues, and a few boaters were plucked from the surf when their craft capsized off one island.
Last weekend, 22 swimmers were rescued from rip currents on Sunday by Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue just east of Wilmington, according to the National Weather Service.
And, on the same day, 10 swimmers were rescued just south of Wilmington by Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue, the weather service said.
There were also at least two ocean rescues at North Topsail Beach last weekend, according to the North Topsail Beach Police Department. In one North Topsail rescue, a police officer jumped into the ocean to save a swimmer.
The police officer inhaled significant levels of seawater during the rescue and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, officials said.
On Monday afternoon, rescue crews in Brunswick County were alerted when a boat capsized with four people and a dog thrown into the ocean at Oak Island, according to the Town of Oak Island.
Just after 2 p.m., crews rushed to The Point in Oak Island, at the far west end of W. Beach Drive, the town said. A boat capsized in the ocean surf near the Lockwoods Folly Inlet.
Oak Island Water Rescue responded and took two boaters and the dog to shore while a passing boater picked up the other two stranded in the water.
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As of Thursday, the boat, a 19-foot Carolina Skiff model, is still lodged in the sandbar area of the Lockwoods Folly Inlet. Oak Island officials said the overturned craft is still a hazard for boaters
Meanwhile, several lifeguard groups at the North Carolina coast are gearing up for summer.
OBX Surf Rescue, which serves Southern Shores and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, began intense training last weekend.
“Over the next week, our veteran and rookie guards will be in the pool, on the beach, in the classroom, and working hard physically to complete training for the Summer 2026 season,” OBX Surf Rescue.
Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue was also training earlier this month, with several lifeguards taking a personal watercraft course ahead of the summer.
Leading into Memorial Day is National Beach Safety Week, which started last weekend and ends on Memorial.
OBX Surf Rescue released five water safety tips:
- swim near a lifeguard
- learn to swim
- learn rip current safety
- never swim alone
- designate a water watcher
Rip currents at the coast can be especially dangerous, officials say.
A rip current forms when waves break near the coast, pushing water up between that wave and the beach.
That water has to return to the ocean, though, so it pushes the other way quickly, creating a narrow band of fast-moving water.
WNCT-TV contributed to this report