On July 4th, while fishing in the New River Inlet, the body of a teenager from Goldsboro, North Carolina, washed away.
When rescue personnel arrived at the inlet, they discovered two brothers had wading out about 50 yards into the water, according to North Topsail Beach town officials.
Town officials released a statement that, “The brothers were fishing when the 14-year-old male was swept away and was yelling for help. Witnesses in the area reported that a boat was near and assisted by pulling one brother into the boat,”
On Sunday morning, the body of 14-year-old Mainor Perez Velasquez washed up on the Camp Lejeune beach.
Yunior Perez Vasquez, Mainor’s older brother, established a GoFundMe to assist with costs.
“We’re going to miss him so much. I’m not sure how we’re going to go through this,” Yunior stated to WRAL. “It’s hard.”
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Mainor was not the first swimmer in the area to go missing, according to William Younginer, the chief of police in North Topsail Beach. Swimmers are unable to notice a 30-foot drop-off, according to Younginer.
“They witnessed him go down and they didn’t witness him come up anywhere,” Younginer stated.
Throughout the long weekend, there was also a risk of rip currents and choppy waves throughout the Carolina coast.
Four more rescue calls were received on Thursday while search teams were working, one of which needed a patient to be taken to the hospital. On July 4, crews searched till late in the day and started up again on Friday morning.
“It becomes personal to us. We don’t want to lose anybody,” Younginer stated.
