A man saved from nearly drowning in the ocean happened during a day of high risk rip currents due to Hurricane Ernesto, according to North Myrtle Beach Police.
Police responded to a call about 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at the beach near 27th Avenue South about a man who had been pulled out of the ocean and was alive.
A bystander said he watched the man dive under waves and after one dive, did not see him come back up for around a minute. He then saw the man floating in the water so he got in and pulled the man to shore.
North Myrtle Beach EMTs put the Virginia man on a board and carried him to their truck to bring him to the ambulance at the closest beach access. He was brought to the hospital where he survived the potential drowning.
Hurricane season, which the South Carolina DNR said lasts from June through November, has made the surf more dangerous in the Myrtle Beach area this August.
When the man was pulled out of the ocean in North Myrtle Beach on Friday, the Atlantic coast from Florida to Raleigh had a high rip current risks from Hurricane Ernesto, the National Weather Service posted on X, formerly Twitter. Ernesto started in the Caribbean before moving into the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Weather Service.
The risks for rip currents were high all weekend and started to go down on Monday.
The area also had high rip currents during the first week of the month when Tropical Storm Debby hit the Myrtle Beach area. When swimming, it’s important to check for rip current risks with the National Weather Service or follow the flags at the lifeguard stands.
A yellow flag means light surf or currents, a red flag means rough and dangerous conditions and a double red flag means the water is closed to public use.
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