Oak Island Water Rescue

05/28/2026

We’ll be at the Hurricane Conference. Stop by and say hi.

2026 HURRICANE CONFERENCE REMINDER

The 2026 Hurricane Conference for the Town of Oak Island will be held TOMORROW on Thursday, May 28, beginning at 5:00 PM on the second floor of Town Hall at 4601 E Oak Island Drive.

NEW for 2026: This year, the first 30 attendees will receive a FREE branded tote bag to help in packing your Ready Kits!

Doors will open early at 5:00 PM for the largest-ever Resource Fair, featuring public service organizations and multiple vendors in the storm resilience industry. After the Resource Fair, at 6:00 PM will be a Panel Discussion with the Town's first responder and infrastructure departments, followed by a special Forecast Presentation from the National Weather Service

NOTE: This meeting will not be broadcast on OKI-TV or livestreamed, to focus on in-person attendance, but will be recorded and published on the Hurricane Information page for later viewing.

To view this page and learn more about the event, visit OakIslandNC.gov/HURRICANE

05/22/2026

Your next chance to buy OIWR 2026 supporter t-shirts is this evening 5:30 to 7:30 at our station (49th SE and Pelican). The real life Winnie from our coloring sheet will be in attendance for at least part.

We did receive a limited number of additional XXL as well as some pink shirts with this year’s logo - they are going to go fast!

05/20/2026

Epilogue:

2026 RTI Rescue boat training class concludes.

Day 3 of RTI Rescue Boat training ended on Sunday finishing with Surf Boat Ops. Conditions were challenging and full of training opportunities in the ever changing Lockwoods Folly Inlet and Point breaker area.

Day 1 of Hurricane Technician brought the team into the classroom for a full day of ground school on techniques, procedures, and tabletop scenarios.

Day 2 Hurricane Technician returned the class to the Point for rough simulated hurricane 🌀 Conditions. Using unpowered rafts, rescue configurations, throwbags and more, to handle any rough high water situations.

Throughout the program new recruits and team members honed their skills on the water. Some bumped and bruised, yet all stayed in the fight.

During this training program, this class responded on 3 real world emergency responses.

The first being a breakaway parachutist on Day 2, a swimmer in distress on Day 3, and the overturned vessel off the Point of Oak Island published in local media.

5 were rescued in the last mission with the Oak Island Fire Department and Oak Island Water Rescue Team jointly responding.

https://www.oakislandnc.gov/Home/Tabs/News/Ocean-Rescue-Notice

This is why we train, why this Rescue boat "boot camp" is so important to our mission. Behind the scenes are the non - stop efforts of our Chief Engineer to keep all emergency response boats, operational, well maintained and mechanically sound and ready for the next mission.

Look for all of us this summer with OIFD Ocean Rescue team members on the beach OIFD Jet ski operators and OIWR Rescue Boat operators on the water keeping Oak Island safe!

05/18/2026

OIWR proud of working together with our OIFD and OIPD emergency service family.

Great work team!

05/18/2026

Day 2 of Rescue Boat training ...
The skills and challenges continue as this 2026 group of rescuers continue to advance through the on water training portion.

This is the classes first full day of on water operations. Tactical boat maneuvers including J turns, with deployed swimmers and more made up their day of events.

Then when the unexpected real world emergency call for assistance comes in - this incident placed the first Rescue boat on scene in the ICW within 5 minutes.

Outstanding work team, keep working the challenges and stay safe out there!

Day 3 is moments away!

05/16/2026

Day 1 Rescue boat training is in the books!

Awesome first day with ground school in the classroom for the morning. Then onto the water breaking downs skills, techniques, and high performance boat maneuvers.

This class of 12 students is doing great.
Fridays operations were focused on the west end ICW near the Lock Wood Folly area.

Look for us in the Dutchmans Creek area on Saturday! Great job team!

Stay safe Oak Island!