The department responded to a call of a capsized kayak just before 10 a.m.
Emergency responders found the man hanging on to a log in the center of the river near the old railroad tracks.
Gaston dispatched a rescue boat carrying its swift water rescue team and brought the man to shore, along with the kayak.
The man was assessed by Gaston EMS and refused medical transportation.
Additional assistance was provided by the Weldon Fire Department, Northampton County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Highway Patrol.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is leading the investigation. An officer could not immediately be reached for comment this afternoon.
