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16h ago

Pawleys Island Expands Rip Current Safety Measures After Heroic Rescue Death

Pawleys Island leaders have rolled out magnets explaining rip current safety; added warning signs at hazard-prone beach access points; increased life ring availability to prevent further drownings.

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FILE - A section of the Pawleys Island pier is missing after Hurricane Ian, Oct. 1, 2022, in Pawleys Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Overview

  • On July 13, former Cobb County officer Anderson “Chase” Childers, 38, entered the surf with another good Samaritan to rescue four to five swimmers caught in a rip current but was swept away and recovered about 90 minutes later.
  • Childers, a former Baltimore Orioles minor leaguer and father of three, received a 2012 Life Saving award and is survived by his wife, Nataley, and their children.
  • This marks the fifth drowning on Pawleys Island since June 2023 and the second in the past month, highlighting the lethality of rip currents on ungarded beaches.
  • Pawleys Island Police Chief Michael Fanning said educational magnets will be distributed to rental properties, extra signage placed at vulnerable accesses and additional life rings installed at key points.
  • Local residents, officials and a GoFundMe campaign have raised over $126,000 in support of Childers’ family as the community mourns his sacrifice.