Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Rescue and emergency response assets from multiple local, state and federal agencies have been searching for a teenage boy pulled underwater by a dangerous rip current off of the Georgetown County coast on Friday afternoon (July 12, 2024).
The boy – whose name and age have not been released – was reportedly swimming with a friend near South Dunes Drive at Litchfield By The Sea at around 6:30 p.m. EDT when a particularly fierce rip current struck and began pulling them both underwater. One of the boys was able to avoid the current and swim to safety, the other was not.
“Witnesses report two teens caught in a rip current,” Carolina Scanner reported on X. “One made it out. The other went under the water.”
Pawleys Island #GeorgetownSC Possible drowning. Witnesses report two teens caught in a rip current. One made it out. The other went under the water. Midway FD on scene requesting Coast guard.
— Carolina Scanner (@CarolinaScanner) July 12, 2024
The boy who went under was last seen wearing blue swimming trunks – and was described by witnesses as being 16 or 17 years old.
Participating in the search for the missing swimmer are assets of the U.S. Coast Guard, Midway Fire & Rescue, the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Assets assisting in the effort included a Coast Guard helicopter and 45-foot boat as well as rescue swimmers, jet skis and other light watercraft.
The helicopter – a MH-65D Dolphin – was spotted flying search patterns between Litchfield by the Sea and Huntington Beach State Park, which is located approximately three miles northeast of where the incident took place.

***
Search efforts were suspended on account of darkness at approximately 10:00 p.m. EDT on Friday afternoon. The search resumed on Saturday morning.
“Absolutely devastating,” one person familiar with the situation wrote on X. “This young man is part of the local community. He was getting off work and went in for a swim with a buddy! I’m so heartbroken. He was a good kid, athlete, popular and well liked.”
This is a developing story … please stay tuned for updates.
***
UPDATE |
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.