Refrigerated Trailer for Rent in Pawley’s Island, SC

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WBTV) - A man drowned at a South Carolina beach while trying to save a group of people stuck in a rip current this past weekend.

Sister-station WMBF reported that the man, 38-year-old Anderson “Chase” Childers, got in the water to help at Pawleys Island on Sunday, July 13.

Four or five people were reportedly caught in the rip current when Childers and another person got in, police told WMBF. He likewise got caught in the current when he tried to help.

First responders recovered Childers’ body on Sunday evening, about an hour and a half after they arrived. WMBF reported that several agencies -- including the U.S. Coast Guard -- responded and used a helicopter and drone in the search.

Brian Henry, the mayor of Pawleys Island, took to Facebook to offer his condolences on Monday.

“We pray for the family members and offer our condolences,” Henry’s post said in part. “We would like to acknowledge the efforts of our first responders who worked tirelessly to recover the victim and bring comfort to the family.”

Henry urged beachgoers to stay alert to changing currents, particularly during high tide.

“While Pawleys Island beaches are consistently rated as some of the best on the entire East Coast, we would like them to be known as the safest as well,” the mayor’s post continued.

The mayor said the town council would investigate how it can prevent future drownings.

Pawleys Island is located about 45 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, near Murrells Inlet and Garden City.

While rip currents can obviously be deadly, there are ways to escape them.

According to the National Weather Service, a person stuck in a rip current should not swim directly toward shore, but instead swim parallel to the shore in the current’s flow. Once out of the current’s pull, the person should then start swimming at an angle to the shore.

If a person gets caught in a rip current and feels they can’t get out, the National Weather Service said they should stay relaxed and wave or call for help. The weather agency said rip currents do not pull people underwater.

It is safest for beachgoers to only swim in places with lifeguards.

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PAWLEYS ISLAND — For the past six years Brian Jallema's family has made a summer trip from their Indiana home to Georgetown County.

Much of their two-week vacation is spent surf fishing.

“That’s our draw," he said. It "is fishing in the ocean. We don’t have any saltwater around us, so that’s why we come around here."

But for many tourists and locals, plans for casting a line may have to change if county leaders approve a summertime ban on fishing near the beach.

County Council on June 24 voted in favor of an ordinance that would restrict summertime bait and surf fishing on public beaches. The ordinance, which needs one more favorable vote to pass, would make surf fishing from beaches illegal between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May 1 to Sept. 30.

The ordinance was originally created to prohibit individuals and companies from actively fishing for sharks, County Council Chairman Clint Elliott said. The intent was to reduce the risk of injury to beachgoers.

Most anglers surf fish early in the morning and pack up once beaches start to get crowded, he said, but some people don’t.

“You don't want to hook a little kid in the foot, or an adult, or, you know, cause anybody any harm,” Elliott said.

Since word spread about the potential ban, many residents have pushed back against the ordinance, calling it too restrictive. Elliott said the county plans to tweak the wording of the ordinance to make its intent more clear. That could include changing or removing the restrictive hours, but Elliott said nothing has been decided.

County officials plan to meet with stakeholders and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources to discuss the ordinance and try to craft a policy that balances the interests of fishermen with public safety concerns, Elliott said.

"We're trying to get a happy compromise to protect the community, but also kind of minimize the blowback on it (the ordinance)," he said.

The ordinance would not apply to Huntington Beach State Park or the Town of Pawleys Island, which has its own fishing rules, said county spokeswoman Jackie Broach.

Neighboring Horry County has an ordinance that prohibits intentionally catching sharks from piers, beaches or any other coastal waters within one mile of the beach. The ordinance states that fishing from piers or beaches in a manner that presents an "unsafe condition" to beachgoers is illegal, and that anyone who surf fishes must obtain a valid South Carolina surf fishing license. It doesn’t include any restrictions on when surf fishing is allowed.

On the morning of June 26, Mickey Sweeney stood on the shore in the Pawleys Island area, gripping a fishing pole in front of him. He’d accidentally hooked a small, juvenile shark. He admired it for a moment before releasing it back into the waves.

Sweeney lives in Murrells Inlet. He said his fishing routine won’t change much if the proposed ordinance passes, except for when he takes his grandchildren fishing a few times a year. He usually arrives at the beach around 4 a.m. and is packed up by 8 a.m.

“I don’t want to see anybody be told, 'No,'" he said. "Myself, it won’t affect me."

Restricting fishing on heavily populated stretches of the beach or having designated fishing areas could be better solutions than what the county has proposed, he said.

Perhaps you’ve visited South Carolina to feast your way through Charleston, celebrate oyster season in Myrtle Beach, or golf your way around Hilton Head Island. But have you heard about Lake City?

If you visit South Carolina often—and even if you live elsewhere in the state—you may not have heard of Lake City (population 5,961). I certainly hadn’t until I came across a viral TikTok post that was a stitch with Miles Bonsignore, one of The Try Guys. Bonsignore asked why more investors weren’t buying small towns, opening a variety of businesses to support locals (and attract new ones), and making every day a festival.

South Carolina-based artist Tiffany Thomas hopped on her page to fill Bonsignore and the rest of us in that this magical world kind of already exists.

What Is The ArtFields Festival?

Flashback to 2013. Realizing her hometown was in need of a boost, Lake City native Darla Moore, a billionaire at the time, decided to put her money where her roots are with something called ArtFields.

To learn more about the festival and its impact, we called Carla Angus, founding ArtFields team and current program director of community engagement for ArtFields and ArtFields Jr. After graduating from Lake City High School, Angus’ goal was to leave and never come back, “except maybe to visit family.”

That’s because for years, the mascot of downtown could have been crickets, Angus admits. The storefronts were vacant, downtown events were non-existent, and “there was little to keep young people rooted,” she explains. “Most graduates had no plans to return, so our greatest resources were steadily leaving. An economic development study showed that hundreds of people were driving through Lake City on their way to places like Myrtle Beach or Charleston, but they weren’t stopping."

Angus fled for college and started her career elsewhere. However, eventually, a job as a school principal brought her back to the area. She explains, “something kept pulling me back home to serve, dream, and help young people believe they could graduate and do something meaningful with their lives.”

As someone who had left and returned, Angus was asked to join a taskforce that came together to “reimagine Lake City as a place where people would not only want to visit, but also live and work, I couldn’t say no,” Angus says. ArtFields, founded by Angus, Moore, and three other women, is a huge part of that.

“ArtFields started with a mission of elevating the profile of Southern artists and becoming an economic engine for Lake City,” Angus tells Southern Living.

Each spring since it launched in 2013, the entire town of Lake City turns into an immersive gallery, with more than $100,000 in prize money up for grabs. Historic downtown buildings, outdoor spaces, and local businesses transform into exhibition halls, showcasing hundreds of pieces of art created across 12 Southeastern states. The first year alone had an estimated $5 million economic impact for the town, Angus says.

Year-Round Momentum

Twelve years in, the 10-day festival has momentum building in little Lake City. Besides the art displays and career-changing prize money available, the festival itinerary also includes workshops, concerts, tastings, tours, and educational activities. This all comes together to make the once-sleepy town a place where folks are inspired to stop and stay a while. And the momentum doesn’t stop each spring when the festival wraps up in May, though.

Three galleries remain open all year, and ArtFields has grown to include “a robust public art program, working artist studios, a comprehensive youth arm that includes a statewide competition, traveling exhibition, and hands on art classes, all anchored with our annual festival that everyone knows and loves,” Angus says. “Young creatives have studios, mentors, and platforms to help them grow and refine their craft here. With more artists moving here and the continued investment in the arts, this little town truly is becoming an art town.”

As for downtown, it’s thriving—and is definitely worth a detour any time of year.

Your Perfect Day In Lake City, South Carolina

About a 90-minute drive from Myrtle Beach or a little less than 2 hours drive from Charleston, your dream day in Lake City starts by checking in at The Inn at the Crossroads, a boutique hotel that opened in 2019. From there, consider:

What do the Carolinas, California, Michigan, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and Texas all have in common?

These destinations are home to some of the best beaches, according to USA TODAY 10Best readers.

With thoughts of summer vacation lingering on the minds of hardworking Americans, finding beaches worth the money and travel is a must.

Here's where the Palmetto's State's best beaches and beach bars are located.

What is SC's best beach bar?

Tiki Hut at Beach House is Hilton Head Island's only beachfront live music venue, overlooking the serene shores of Coligny Beach. Laid-back and full of good vibes, the beach bar is also the island's only "toes in the sand, drinks in hand experience," per Hilton Head Island.

Last year's renovations to the bar have only made it better, featuring more seating, a bigger stage, The Dunes beachfront event pavilion, and a reimagined pool deck that now has private cabanas with TVs, a temperature-controlled pool, hot tub, and food and drink service from The Porch. USA TODAY recommends guests try the bourbon, lemonade, and raspberry puree known as the Local Secret, or the bar's 32-ounce bucket of tropical rums and juice.

What is SC's best beach?

Pawley's Island in Georgetown County, named S.C.'s No. 1 beach by USA TODAY, is the birthplace of the famous rope hammock. It is also the country's oldest seaside resort and continues to fulfill its reputation as a place where visitors can find peace, quiet, and beauty. Over the short causeway, there are boutique shops to browse and first-class restaurants that are sure to satisfy a hungry appetite.

"While the community is home to just over 100 residents, the population swells in the warm months, when beachgoers arrive to enjoy sunbathing, swimming, and surfing." said USA TODAY.

USA TODAY's 10 best beach bars

∎ No. 1: Ocean Deck Restaurant and Beach Bar (Daytona Beach, Florida)

∎ No. 2: Flora-Bama (Pensacola, Florida)

∎ No. 3: Tiki Hut at Beach House

∎ No. 4: Reunion Kitchen + Drink (Santa Barbara, California)

∎ No. 5: Copper Bar at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (Waimea, Hawaii)

∎ No. 6: Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian (Honolulu, Hawaii)

∎ No. 7: Sloppy Joe's on the Beach at Bilmar Beach Resort (Treasure Island, Florida)

∎ No. 8: The Crow's Nest (Santa Cruz, California)

∎ No. 9: House Without a Key at Halekulani Hotel (Honolulu, Hawaii)

∎ No. 10: Edge of Waikiki at Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort (Honolulu, Hawaii)

USA Today's 10 best beaches in SC

∎ No. 1: Pawleys Island

∎ No. 2: North Myrtle Beach (North Myrtle Beach)

∎ No. 3: Litchfield Beach (Litchfield Beach)

∎ No. 4: Huntington Beach State Park (Murrells Inlet)

∎ No. 5: Cherry Grove Beach (North Myrtle Beach)

∎ No. 6: Huntington Island State Park (Hunting Island)

∎ No. 7: Edisto Beach State Park (Edisto Island)

∎ No. 8: Myrtle Beach State Park (Myrtle Beach)

∎ No. 9: Coligny Beach Park (Hilton Head Island)

∎ No. 10: Bloody Point Beach (Daufuskie Island)

Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WMBF) - Beachgoers enjoyed the ocean water on Monday, but Sunday was a different story.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) found increased levels of a bacteria called Enterococcus near Pawleys Island.

“Enterococcus is basically a bacteria that is not infrequently found in our G.I. Tracts, in our gut,” said Dr. Paul Richardson, the chief medical officer at Conway Medical Center.

Richardson explained that the Enterococcus bacteria are pretty common in both our stomachs and in everyday ocean water.

Dr. Megan Cevasko, an associate professor of biology at Coastal Carolina University, said the bacteria are safe under a certain level, but that sometimes, with increased rain, the ocean sees an increase in bacteria count.

“You can have a lot of increased outflow and runoff from that, and that outflow and runoff is going to go over lawns. Like I said, pet waste and potentially, I would say, just like undesirable bacteria, is at higher levels,” Cevasco explained.

She said one advantage of testing Enterococcus levels is that the bacteria indicates higher levels of other potentially harmful bacteria.

Richardson explained that increased levels of the bacteria are fine for most people. But the results are a little trickier for the immunocompromised and children.

“The possibility of it actually causing a GI infection, a symptomatic GI infection rather than just not doing anything. Also, we’ll be concerned about skin-type infections,” he said.

SCDES told WMBF News that it’s not uncommon for the agency to issue swimming advisories in the summer months, and said its employees check bacteria levels in the ocean either weekly or biweekly at 122 stations across the state’s coastline.

“It’s great that we have this system where there’s constant monitoring so that we can determine when things are safe and when things are not safe,” Cevasco said.

Richardson said no one should panic; it’s just a matter of avoiding the water when those advisories are in place and getting medical help if needed.

“For most folks, this is probably not an issue, but for those people that are in that high-risk category, could definitely be. So just everybody take caution,” the doctor said.

SCDES also said it’s not uncommon to see these advisories in the summertime, depending on the amount of rain that has fallen.

The department also said it’s more common to see these advisories around Myrtle Beach since it’s a busier area than Pawleys Island.

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