Seven Town of Nags Head first responders have been honored for their heroic actions in saving a two-year-old girl from nearly drowning. 

From left, Ocean Rescue Guard Riley Young, Ocean Rescue Guard Supervisor Coleman Flynn, Police Sergeant Chase Tadlock, Mayor Ben Cahoon, Police Officer Terry Flaugher, Commissioner Kevin Brinkley, Firefighter Tyree Hughes, Commissioner Renée Cahoon, Fire Lieutenant Evan Zadd, Commissioner Bob Sanders, and Fire Captain Matt Swain
were honored with Nags Head’s Lifesaving Award at the September 7, 2022 meeting of Nags Head’s Board of Commissioners. 

“Calls involving children are the single-most stressful calls that first responders can be involved in,” said Fire Chief Randy Wells during a presentation at the meeting. “Their ability to remain calm and focused so they can perform the skills they have been trained to do can change the outcome for some of these children.”

Wells was speaking about an emotional, yet ultimately successful, call the responders received a little after 10 am on Saturday, July 30, 2022. A two-year-old girl, visiting with her family from Pittsburgh, had been pulled from a pool at a home in the 2400 block of South Virginia Dare Trail, unconscious and not breathing. 

The responders, one of whom was off duty that day, arrived quickly, performing CPR and providing emergency care to the child. Working calmly and efficiently as a team, they were able to restore the child’s breathing and pulse. One of the responders had notified Dare MedFlight early on in the call so that the child was able to be transported by Dare County EMS to The Outer Banks Hospital and then airlifted to a hospital in Virginia. 

“I’m extremely proud of our staff and the way they handled this situation,” said Interim Police Chief Perry Hale. “We come to work each day not knowing which calls may come, but we do our best to make sure we’re prepared. I certainly witnessed that in this situation between the Fire department, Police department, and Ocean Rescue. Seeing our departments work together with a passion and desire to save … [‘s] life is what Nags Head employees are about.”

“You hope you never get that call and I can only imagine what it was like as a parent to have that child and to have that risk to their life and to see this team show up,” said Mayor Ben Cahoon. “You can’t say enough about that good work. We really appreciate each and every one of you and what you do every single day.”

“Because of your selflessness, your response played the most influential role in saving her life,” said the child’s mother. “Our gratitude and thankfulness we have as her parents, being able to enjoy every new moment and new experience with her is all that we could ever wish for. We cannot thank you enough for all the work you have done to prepare yourselves for something like this.” 

Thankfully, the child has made a full recovery and is now attending preschool.  

When we have the first strong surf and high tides after a beach nourishment project people often ask us, "Where did the sand go?".  

As you know, Hurricane Earl, although well offshore, is kicking up our surf and causing dangerous rip currents. These conditions should last through this weekend and into early next week. Elevated water levels and inundation will extend through the dry sand beach and is highly likely during high tides.

Please keep the following points in mind:

• This summer's beach project, paid for primarily by FEMA and the State funding, restored sand lost as a result of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. This project differs from the previous two projects in the amount of sand placed and the location of the sand placement. Sand was primarily replaced in locations where losses were documented from Hurricane Dorian. 
• The sand, one placed, is redistributed gradually through a natural process called equilibration. It is normal for a newly constructed beach to readjust and change substantially within the first few months. Sand redistribution along the oceanfront is an ongoing process that is primarily impacted by wave energy, duration, direction. The beach design accounts for modest waves to move and spread the sediment so the natural beach can assume a more natural form. 
• Previous projects have experienced varying levels of inundation after construction, (see the photo above, which was taken after the 2019 nourishment project). This is not uncommon. The beach now has enough sand to heal and recover from storms by reshaping and reforming to dissipate wave energy. 
• These highly-engineered projects are designed so that the beach fill elevation reduces wave energy and the potential for overwash. 
• As part of the beach fill construction process, beach condition data is collected, analyzed, and certified before placement and after placement to ensure consistency with design parameters, environmental regulations, and confirmation for payment purposes. The certification process is thorough in its to review.
• The ongoing implementation of beach nourishment projects aid in the mitigation of coastal erosion and protecting life and property through hurricane and storm damage reduction in addition to providing environmental, recreational, and aesthetic benefits.

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An emergency kit should have everything you need to survive for several days. Keeping your kit stocked with necessities like food, water, and medical care can make the difference in the face of a disaster. For more information, visit the Ready web site.

The 10th Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing Workshop will be held at the UNC Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese from 9am to 4pm on Saturday, November 12 and Sunday, November 13. 

Veteran, writer, and educator Bryon Reiger from New Orleans, LA will lead this year’s Veterans Writing Workshop, which is titled Scene Writing For Stage & Screen.

For more information, visit the Dare Arts web site.

Only 23% of disposable bottles in the U.S. are put in recycling. By recycling bottles you help prevent pollution from landfills, save energy, and reduce oil usage.

One ton of recycled plastic saves:

• 30 yds of landfill space
• 5,774 kWh of electricity
• 685 gallons of oil

Upcoming Board of Commissioners and Planning Board Meetings

• Board of Commissioners, Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 9 am 
• Planning Board, Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 9 am

• View a calendar of all the upcoming meetings.
• View meeting agendas for the Board of Commissioners and the Planning Board.
• All Board of Commissioners and Planning Board meetings are livestreamed via the Town's YouTube channel.