Shenandoah County family rescued from rip currents in Emerald Isle

Seven people from the Shenandoah Valley were rescued, including several teenagers, after they got pulled out by rip currents Thursday afternoon in Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

It happened shortly before 4:00 p.m. about a mile east of the Islander Inn, according to our sister station, WITN.

A combination of lifeguards and firefighters pulled everyone to safety. No one was sent to the hospital, according to firefighters.

All seven are from the same family vacationing from Edinburg.

"It was pretty rough and I was really scared that I, like last week when the guy passed away, I was really scared that something bad was going to happen to either me or my sister," Laurel Holsinger told WITN.

Heather Holsinger, her mother, said they have been at the beach all week and this was the first time their children went in the ocean.

She and her husband, along with her father, were watching the teens from their condo.

"We looked out to check on them and three of them were out far enough that we were concerned that, a little angry to be honest," said Heather. "But then we realized that they were having trouble and couldn't get back in."

She said her husband and father ran down to the beach, while she called 911.

Her husband and father rushed into the water to help, but then they got caught up in the rip currents as well and had to be rescued.

Emerald Isle says they had a total of three rescues on Thursday with two others also safely pulled from the surf.

The town had been flying red flags for 11 straight days but lifted those warnings on Thursday.