8-year-old floating on unicorn raft rescued a half-mile from shore, NC officials say
An 8-year-old boy was rescued off the North Carolina coast after riding a unicorn raft that drifted into deep water.
Wind on Monday blew the raft about one-quarter to one-half mile into the ocean, Oak Island Water Rescue posted on Facebook.
“Once it was out past the waves, the big float acted like a sail and the unicorn float kept going away from the beach,” according to the department, which says there was “adequate supervision” on the day of the rescue.
A swimmer tried to save the boy, who had been pushed from shallow waters, according to the volunteer rescue organization.
Luckily, the child stayed on the float until rescuers arrived to pull him from the water, officials say.
And when rescuers came, the 8-year-old “told the crew not to pop the unicorn float or they would get in trouble,” officials say.
On the shore, the child was “gently placed into the arms of his mother,” Oak Island Water Rescue said in another post.
After the ordeal, the volunteer group told people about potential dangers on the water, saying “a strong wind gust can send a raft on the move.”
This story was originally published June 5, 2019 at 4:33 PM with the headline "8-year-old floating on unicorn raft rescued a half-mile from shore, NC officials say."
