LEWES, Del.- A woman who drifted out to sea off the coast of Lewes was rescued Tuesday evening after a group of off-duty lifeguards sprang into action.
According to North Shores Beach Patrol Captain Kent Buckson, the woman had reportedly been unable to get back into her boat and drifted out into the ocean, prompting an alert to rescue and medical personnel.
Several North Shores Lifeguards, who were off-duty at the time, heard the call for help on emergency scanners and the PulsePoint app. Buckson said they left their homes in Rehoboth and Dewey Beach, made their way to North Shores, and responded using two beach patrol Polaris vehicles.
The lifeguards raced north along the shoreline to the Cape Henlopen State Park Bathhouse, where they spotted what appeared to be a person waving roughly 300 yards offshore.
All three lifeguards entered the water and swam out to secure the woman, towing her safely back to the beach. Park rangers, paramedics, and Lewes Fire were waiting onshore to provide aid.
Buckson said the water search had been underway for about an hour, with both a Delaware State Police helicopter and a U.S. Coast Guard boat involved in the effort. Neither was able to locate the woman before the lifeguards arrived.
“These lifeguards went the extra mile after hours,” Buckson said. “They traveled from Rehoboth via beach vehicles all the way to Lewes to save this woman's life.”