52-year-old Hickory man drowns at Brunswick County beach

A 52-year-old man from Hickory drowned Sunday afternoon after swimming at the Oak Island beach, officials said.

According to a news release posted on the Town of Oak Island's website, first responders arrived at the beach shortly after 2 p.m. after getting calls about a swimmer in distress. 

Before authorities arrived, Kevin Whitley was pulled to the shore where bystanders performed CPR. Town officials said emergency medical personnel performed all available resuscitation efforts for more than 30 minutes before Whitley was pronounced dead. 

The Oak Island fire, police, and water rescue departments responded to the scene. 

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The Sunday incident was one of more than half a dozen calls received in the Oak Island and Caswell Beach area during the day, according to the release. Officials are urging the public to stay vigilant of conditions and the warning flag system, especially due to unsettled waters caused by Tropical Storm Colin. 

Oak Island Water Rescue had been flying a yellow warning flag all day, but upgraded it to red, which indicates a high risk of rip and longshore current, in addition to dangerous surf conditions, the release said. Beachgoers are encouraged to stay out of the water on red flag days since there is no "safe" water depth identified. 

"While neither the death of Mr. Whitley nor the other calls can be confirmed as directly related to rip currents at this time, the need for caution is still very present," the release said. "With Colin not presenting the high winds or heavy rains typically experienced during a tropical storm, it can be easy for visitors to not be aware of the rough and unsafe conditions that may still be present in the water." 

 Additional information about beach safety in the area is available online at www.OakIslandNC.gov/BEACH.