Swimmer caught in current near Dauphin Island rescued

Mobile, Ala. (WEAR-TV) — The US Coast Guard rescues a man near Dauphin Island after his wife reported him missing.

Around 5 p.m., an unidentified woman called the Mobile Sector stating her husband never returned from a swim. She said he tried to swim from the southern tip of Pelican Island to the Pelican Island Sandbar, and never made it back.

The Coast Guard launched a 45-foot Response Boat and found the man nearly a mile.

The man said he got caught in a current that he could not swim out of. He did not have on a lifejacket.

“This swimmer is fortunate, and it was prudent he had a loved one on the beach who was familiar with his swim plan,” said Cmdr. Kara Lavin, search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Mobile.

“We advise that everyone tells a friend or family member their plans when open water swimming. The currents can catch people off-guard, and the absence of a life jacket put this swimmer at serious risk.”

The boat crew brought the man to the station, where he was evaluated by EMS and is in stable condition. Dauphin Island Fire and Rescue assisted with a beach search.