Saturday June, 26 2021

Nature: Citizen Assist - Rafter in Distress

Address: Massey’s Ditch

Cross Streets: Long Neck Road / Long Beach Drive

On Saturday evening, June 26^th, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company was launching 80 Marine 1 at the Massey’s Landing Public Boat Ramp for a pre-arranged marine unit demonstration and came upon a rafter in distress that was taken adrift by the tidal current in the ditch.

80 Marine 1 departed the public boat ramp enroute towards Rehoboth Bay via Massey’s Ditch and saw three inner tube type rafts drifting in the ditch as a result of the tidal currents.  Two tubes were unoccupied and drifted away and one tube was occupied by a single male subject who begun waving and requested assistance.

It appears that these rafters were enjoying the beach area of Massey’s Landing Campground until the tidal currents took them adrift in a southwesterly direction down Massey’s Ditch towards the Indian River Bay.

80 Marine 1 spoke with the occupied raft and he requested assistance with returning back to the beach area as well as collecting the other rafts.  80 Marine 1 deployed the landing craft gate to allow better access to the rafter, once onboard, we collected the other rafts and delivered everything back to the Massey’s Landing Campground beach for drop off.

Illustrated herewith are a few photographs of this occurrence.