Water rescue was close call for kayak anglers
Aug. 10—The incoming tide in Brunswick's East River Tuesday toppled a kayaker and left him literally stuck in the mud as his friend's vessel began taking on water, leading to a water rescue involving local, state and federal agencies.
The incident is a reminder to practice caution and to familiarize yourself with the area before setting out in any water vessel, a local emergency management coordinator said.
Tuesday's incident occurred when two men were fishing in kayaks around the old Liberty Ship yard next to the Sidney Lanier Bridge when the current created by the aggressively changing tide overwhelmed them, said Alec Eaton, the city's Emergency Management coordinator.
Eaton responded to the scene near Liberty Ship Park along with the Brunswick Fire Department and the Brunswick Police Department and found one man who was waist deep in mud after his kayak overturned.
"There wasn't a lot of good access to get to them," Eaton said, noting the pylons once used to launch Liberty Ships and the oyster beds that are planted firmly in the river's floor around them.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Law Enforcement Division responded along with the U.S. Coast Guard.
"(DNR law enforcement) quickly located a male subject next to his overturned, motorized kayak, who was stuck in the mud up to his waist," said Mark McKinnon, DNR Public Affairs officer.
As that was happening, the other fisherman began taking on water in his kayak, Eaton said. A Brunswick fire crew was able to throw a line out to him and pull the man back ashore.
The DNR game wardens freed the man from the mud while Brunswick crews pulled his kayak back to the shore, ending what Eaton said was nearly a much worse situation. Both men were checked by emergency medical personnel on scene and suffered only minor nicks and bruises, Eaton said. They refused transport to the hospital, loaded their kayaks with help from the first responders and were on their way, Eaton said.
The Glynn County Emergency Management Agency's search and rescue squad was on standby, but Eaton said they were not needed.
He said both men had been fishing at a different location but were not having any luck so they ventured out into the big water under the bridge to fish around the structure of the old shipyard, somewhere they had never previously been in kayaks.
"The No. 1 thing is to know the waterways and know the currents and tide cycles," Eaton said. "This tide turned out to be more aggressive than they could handle."
Eaton said anyone who is heading out in any type of vessel, kayaks especially, should let people know where they are going and make sure they understand the nuances of the rivers and creeks in the area. If conditions seem a little too choppy or dangerous, try again at a different time, he said.
"Be cautious," Eaton said. "Learn the tides. Know the cycle. If it's starting to be too aggressive, back away and try again another day."
