There was drama on the high seas yesterday in Morehead City, where three employees in the Division of Environmental Health, N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, rescued two capsized boaters.
It occurred mid-morning when the sailboat, carrying two boaters, capsized because of strong currents and winds near the Marine Fisheries dock. The boaters were hanging onto their boat that was pinned between dock pillars.
At the same time, staff from the Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Section happened to be on the other side of the dock returning from pulling daily water and shellfish samples. A television station was interviewing staff and captured the rescue on tape.
The staff – Paul Moore, Timmy Moore, and Phil Piner – recognized that the boaters were in trouble and used their quick wits to maneuver their boat to pull the boaters to safety. I am proud and thankful that our staff so willingly went to the aid of the boaters and that potential tragedy was avoided.
There are many unsung heroes at DENR, but the actions of our staff today in Morehead City were caught on tape. If you wish to view the tape and a news story about the rescue, please visit http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/97076919.html.