GASTON – A trip on rubber tubes down the Roanoke River by five local teens wasn’t the leisurely trip they had originally planned.

But in the end, they were all found safe and sound.

Fire and rescue units from several agencies were dispatched around 9:45 p.m. Thursday for a report of five missing teenagers. Four females and one male were reported to Northampton County 911 by the teenager’s parents as being missing.

According to Gaston Fire Chief Ed Porter Jr., the parents stated that the teenagers put into the Roanoke River on tubes at the Gaston Boat Landing around 5 p.m. with plans to float to the Weldon Boat Landing. When the teenagers did not return home on time, emergency crews were dispatched to perform a search of the river.

Emergency responders from Gaston Fire & Rescue, Conway-Severn Rescue Squad, and the Weldon Fire Department responded and performed the search. After searching the river by boat and by foot, the emergency responders were able to local the teens.

Porter said the teens were assessed medically by Northampton County EMS, and returned to their parents.

The Northampton County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident.