Man rescued from Hunting Island sandbar after tide came in, fire officials say.

A 29-year-old man was taking pictures of birds on a sandbar off Hunting Island Sunday morning when he realized the tide had come in behind him, Scott Harris, spokesman for Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District, said.

The fire department responded to the water emergency after a 911 call at 9:15 a.m., he said.

Harris said the tide was coming in rapidly.

A Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy — first on scene — was unable to reach the stranded man via a four-wheeler because the water was already too high.

A Fripp Island firefighter, Todd Weatherford, was the first to reach the man with the use of a Jet Ski, Harris said.

The man was brought back to shore safely.

No one was injured, and the man was not transported to the hospital, he said.

This story was originally published August 4, 2019 at 11:49 AM.