Gaston Earns Second Place in Rescue of the Year Award
Gaston Fire & Rescue received second place in the A.B. Parker Memorial Rescue of the Year Award from the North Carolina Association of Rescue & EMS. Lieutenant Darrick McGee accepted the award for the department at the association's annual meeting on Saturday, September 12.
The award recognizes a May 14, 2026 rescue on Roanoke Rapids Lake. Just before 10:00 p.m., Gaston was requested to assist a man in the water near the dam who was calling for help. He was approximately 60 yards offshore and drifting toward the dam in strong winds and waves.
Shoreline lighting and drone operations helped guide the water rescue crew to the man, who was clinging to a life vest. The crew brought him aboard the rescue boat and returned him to shore for medical care.
During the rescue, crews learned that he had been kayaking with another man who had given him his life jacket before they became separated. The response expanded into a search involving land, water, drone, and air resources.
Gaston Fire & Rescue thanks the North Carolina Association of Rescue & EMS for the recognition and the agencies and personnel who assisted during the incident.
Rescue Footage
Drone footage of the May 14, 2026 water rescue on Roanoke Rapids Lake, shared by Gaston Fire & Rescue.
Photos
Lieutenant Darrick McGee accepted the award on behalf of Gaston Fire & Rescue at the association's annual meeting.
The department shared this image from the May 14 water rescue with its award announcement.
