A South Carolina beach vacation turned tragic when a father of four died after swimming into a dangerous rip current to save a young girl. According to a report by People, Derrick Moore, 47, of Loganville, Ga., helped the girl to safety at Myrtle Beach but was then pulled under. Moore’s family is mourning a man remembered as a devoted father, but details shared after his death shed light on the selfless act that preceded the tragedy.
Moored vanished after rescue effort
The report says that the Myrtle Beach Police Department and Myrtle Beach Fire Department responded around 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8 local time to reports of a missing swimmer near 10th Avenue South. Moore was pulled into the water after a young girl was caught in a rip current, according to authorities. He succeeded in saving the girl, but was then dragged down himself. Emergency workers started searching for Moore but couldn’t find him that night. His body was discovered the next morning near 11th Avenue South in Myrtle Beach, authorities said.
Family remembers father of four
According to family members, Moore is a 47-year-old teacher and father of four from Loganville, Ga. His daughter described him as a loving father and his death has devastated the family. Moore was “loved deeply by those who knew him best,” his family said. According to reports, lifeguards were off duty when the incident occurred.
Search joined by coast guard
Myrtle Beach police informed U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders that a 47-year-old man had entered the water and not resurfaced, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard aided local agencies in the search and launched several assets, including a helicopter. Crews kept searching until the early hours of Saturday but could not find Moore. Police found his body Saturday morning near the shoreline in Myrtle Beach. Later the Coast Guard expressed its condolences to Moore’s family and friends who mourned his death.
Reportedly girl he saved is safe
Moore apparently did not know the girl he went into the water to save. Authorities have not released the identity, whereabouts, or condition of the girl. But a man claiming to be the girl’s uncle later posted on social media that Moore had saved both him and his niece. The man allegedly responded to a social media post from one of Moore’s grieving sons, offering his condolences and saying he was trying to reach out to the family. Since then, social media users have reportedly tried to help connect the man with Moore’s relatives. No name has been released.
A sad reminder of Rip currents
For the uninitiated, rip currents are narrow, fast-moving channels of water that flow offshore. They can quickly sweep swimmers out to sea. They can be hard to find, especially if you are not used to the conditions on the ocean. Experts generally advise swimmers caught in a rip current not to directly fight the current by trying to swim straight back to shore. Instead, swimmers should try to remain calm and if needed float and swim parallel to the shore until out of the current before heading back to land. Moore’s tragedy additionally emphasizes the dangers of entering the water to save another person. Someone caught in a rip current can panic and inadvertently put a rescuer in danger too. But for Moore’s family, his final moments are inseparable from the act of bravery that came before. He went into the water to help a child he didn’t know, getting her to safety before he himself was swept away.His passing leaves a community mourning a man known for putting another’s safety above his own, and four children without a father.Images Courtesy: istock and Facebook
