Horry County, SC — The Horry County Coroner’s Office has released the name of the visitor who lost his life last week after pulling a young girl from a dangerous rip current in Myrtle Beach.
Forty-seven-year-old Derrick Moore of Loganville, Georgia, gave his life following a dramatic rescue effort on the evening of August 7.
According to local law enforcement, emergency services received reports just before dark, around 7:53 p.m., regarding an emergency in the surf near 10th Avenue South. Local lifeguards had already gone off duty by that time. A young girl had drifted into a severe rip current and was struggling against the heavy pull of the ocean. Spotting the child in danger, Moore did not hesitate to enter the water. He successfully reached the girl and guided her to safety, but the immense physical toll caused him to collapse in the surf, where he was swept beneath the waves.
Public safety officials and municipal rescue teams launched an intensive search operation that stretched through the night and into the following morning. Search crews ultimately recovered Moore’s body after it washed ashore near 11th Avenue South on August 8.
Moore’s family members noted that Derrick and the child were complete strangers. Loved ones remember him as a devoted father and educator whose final, selfless act saved a young life.
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