GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County man has died after rescuing a young girl caught in a rip current.
It happened shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Myrtle Beach.
The fire department said a girl got caught in a rip current and a man went in to save her.
“[The] swimmer entered the water to help her and was able to get her to safety, but was then pulled underwater by the rip current,” the Myrtle Beach Police Department said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Georgia DOT moves surplus property auctions online to reach buyers
- Drivers say they are not getting enough warning when driving through speed camera zones
- Taylor Farms, company at center of cyclospora outbreak, now pulling jalapeños over salmonella
The man’s body washed ashore around 1 p.m. on Saturday. He has been identified as Derrick Moore, 47, of Loganville.
WRAL-TV spoke with Moore’s family, who said he is a teacher and he did not know the girl who went in the water.
“We loved him and are truly heartbroken that he’s gone,” his daughter said in a statement. “He was a great father, and we are all going to miss him.”
He leaves behind four children, the family said.