Gaston Chief Ed Porter Jr. said the call was received shortly after 3:30.
The swiftwater team deployed from the Weldon Boat Landing and found a 22-year-old man stranded on one of the pillars of the bridge and grasping his kayak, which overturned and was trapped under a log.
Porter declined to release the name of the kayaker, but did confirm he was local and refused medical treatment.
The team brought the man and his kayak back to the boat landing.
Situations like this, Porter said this afternoon, are why Gaston has a certified swiftwater rescue team as well as a dive team. “We have lakes, a river, pond and all types of water. We have five different boats depending on what situation we’re in.”
In all there are about 14 members of the team and 19 have signed up who began training last weekend. “They’ll be on the lake tonight and the river the next two days.”
The Weldon police and fire departments and Northampton and Halifax EMS were also on the scene, Porter said in the statement.
