Marine Fisheries employee drowned saving his coworker, deputies say

CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WITN/Gray News) – A state employee has died in an apparent drowning in North Carolina while saving his colleague.

Deputies in Carteret County said the Marine Fisheries employee, identified as 52-year-old Marc Hamric, was gathering water sample collections in Turnagain Bay near Sea Level on Wednesday morning.

Officials said the boat Hamric and others were working on started to drift away.

They said Hamric entered the water wearing waders as he tried to help his coworker, who made it back to the boat but couldn’t get on.

Hamric then took off his waders to swim back to shore for help, but went underwater.

Officials said Hamric’s coworkers worked to rescue him from the water within minutes and began CPR.

Officials said no foul play is suspected in Hamric’s death.

The sheriff’s office, along with the North Carolina Marine Patrol, is investigating Hamric’s death.

Last November, Hamric was named a North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Distinguished Employee Award winner.

On Wednesday, he sacrificed his life to help a coworker in distress.

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