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Passing of NC PLS #4480
Shane Wyatt a NC Surveyor from Old Fort, NC lost his life while on vacation at Atlantic Beach, NC. RIP in peace my friend. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Posted: Thursday, August 4, 2016 4:23 pm | Updated: 4:28 pm, Thu Aug 4, 2016.
BY GINNY RHODES [EMAIL][email protected][/EMAIL]
An Old Fort man drowned in ocean waters at Atlantic Beach Wednesday evening making it the third death from rip currents the area has seen in the past few weeks, fire officials confirmed on Thursday.
Shane Wyatt, 41, of Old Fort, was pronounced dead on Wednesday while vacationing in the resort town with his wife Terra and two sons, Zane and William.
Chief Adam Snyder of the Atlantic Beach Fire Department told the McDowell News on Thursday emergency crews were called out to a location on the beach near A Place at the Beach condos where the family was staying. Snyder described the area as private.
ÛÏThis area is on the eastern side of Atlantic Beach, which is not protected by lifeguards,Û said Snyder.
He said conflicting stories of how the drowning occurred have surfaced but what they believe is Wyatt was at the ocean with his 10-year-old son, when he either jumped in to save his son, or they were both out in the water and only his son was able to get to shore.
ÛÏWe do know for a fact that bystanders recognized him rolling around in the surf, pulled him from the water and started CPR,Û said Snyder.
Wyatt was transported with advanced life support to Carteret Health Care where he was later pronounced dead. The child was not injured.
Snyder said there is a lifeguarded area on the beach which covers 843 feet of shoreline, and the department handles all the water rescues along 4.8 miles of the beach.
He said this summer the surf has been especially rough and wavy and rip currents are based on weather conditions.
Mystic Tie Lodge Secretary Jack Wood spoke to the newspaper on Thursday to extend his condolences to Wyatt who was as Masonic Joppa Lodge member in Old Fort.
ÛÏHe served as chaplain of the lodge when needed. He was a very outdoorsy person, he was a hunter and a fisherman and to my knowledge, a strong swimmer,Û said Wood. ÛÏHe was a pleasant and friendly person to be around. He was very committed to his family.Û
Wood said he found out about WyattÛªs passing from another lodge member who said he was attempting to rescue his son from the ocean.
ÛÏWe have heard so many different stories but what I was told he had went in after his son and rescued him and possibly got pulled back in or collapsed from exhaustion,Û said Wood. ÛÏHe was a good man, he will be missed.Û
According to WyattÛªs Facebook page, he owned Wyatt Surveying in Old Fort and was a surveyor for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. His wife Terra is the physical education instructor at Nebo Elementary School.
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