Greensboro girl reflects on stranger who died saving her from Myrtle Beach rip current

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Yv1J9ZaTc

A 10-year-old North Carolina girl is remembering the stranger who sacrificed his life to save her from a dangerous rip current at Myrtle Beach.

A stranger became her hero

Summer McCallum, from Greensboro, was swimming at Myrtle Beach when she was caught in a powerful rip current and began struggling in the water.

Derrick Moore, a Georgia teacher who was nearby, rushed into the ocean to help.

Moore was able to reach Summer and help get her back toward safety. But in the process, he became caught in the dangerous current himself.

A heartbreaking outcome

Summer made it safely back to shore, but Moore did not survive.

His decision to enter the water to help a child he didn't know has left Summer and her family deeply grateful while mourning the man who gave his life trying to save hers.

Summer remembers the man who saved her

Now, Summer is reflecting on the frightening experience and the stranger she will never forget.

For her family, Moore's actions are a powerful reminder of how quickly conditions in the ocean can change—and how one person's courage can make the difference between life and death.

A reminder about rip currents

Rip currents can be extremely dangerous because they pull swimmers away from shore, sometimes with surprising speed.

Experts recommend that swimmers caught in a rip current do not fight the current by swimming directly toward the beach. Instead, they should stay calm, float if necessary and swim parallel to the shoreline until they are out of the current before making their way back to shore.

Bottom line

Summer McCallum survived a terrifying encounter in the ocean because Derrick Moore chose to help a child in danger. Though Moore lost his life, his final act saved Summer—and his family and community are now remembering him as a hero.