St Simons Island, Georgia, United States – A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah helicopter crew conducted a rescue operation after a 71-year-old kayaker became separated from her group and stranded in marshland near Village Creek Landing.

Shaky helicopter footage shows the aircraft hovering over bright, sunlit marshes as rotor wash disturbs the water and vegetation below. A crew member inside the helicopter is seen preparing the hoist system while the rescue cable and basket are lowered toward the ground.

On the marsh, the woman—wearing light clothing and a hat—can be seen waving her arms before being secured into the rescue basket. She is then lifted steadily upward toward the helicopter as the crew coordinates the operation through radio communication.

The footage continues as the basket rises and the woman is safely brought aboard the aircraft.

Additional ground-level video at St Simons Island Airport shows the rescued kayaker walking calmly across the tarmac with a crew member in flight gear and another man, appearing uninjured and composed.

The rescue took place on Thursday, April 16, 2026, after the woman became disoriented in the marshy area. She was transported safely to the airport with no reported medical issues following the extraction.

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