The search continued Tuesday for a kayaker who disappeared on Roanoke Rapids Lake.
According to Gaston Fire & Rescue's Facebook page, first responders were called to the lake Thursday night (May 14) for reports of a man near the dam yelling for help. The man was found holding onto a lifejacket and pulled to safety.
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The man said he was given the lifejacket by another man who was in the kayak with him, but he was not sure where the other man went.
"That was probably his instinct," said Edward Porter, the chief of Gaston Fire & Rescue. "In that situation, he weighed out that he had a better chance of getting shore versus his buddy, so he handed it to his buddy."
On Tuesday, crews transitioned from search and rescue to recovery. Crew members said they are still determined to bring the family closure.
Angel Martinez's family has been looking for him since the May 14th incident. His sister, Aparicio Martinez, joined family members on Tuesday on the bank to look for him.
"In his free time, he would always come to the lake," Aparicio Martinez said of her brother.
Drone video posted by Gaston Fire & Rescue shows the moment crews saved the other kayaker. Officials said dark and windy conditions made the rescue difficult, writing, "crews worked through darkness, wind, waves, and distance from shore" to locate and rescue the man.
Tuesday marks day six in the search for the second man. Authorities said drone, land searches, sonar, helicopters and cadaver K-9 units are all being used in the search.
Roanoke Rapids Lake is place the Martinez family has gone for decade. It's the last place he was seen alive.
"We grew up here," Aparicio Martinez said . "When we grew up, we didn't have the time to explore it, but when we grew up and had his own family he took that time."
Gaston Fire & Rescue wrote: "Please keep the survivor, the missing male’s family, and all responders involved in your thoughts.