UPDATE: 13 rescued on Sullivan’s Island
Sullivan’s Island Fire Chief, Anthony Stith, told the Sullivan’s Island Town Council that they have responded to 13 water rescue calls since last Thursday when two young women got caught in dangerous currents as they attempted to swim out to a sandbar.
The 911 call came in at 3:43pm that day, Stith recalls. Screaming could be heard in the background. Rebecca Fanning had been swimming out to a sandbar with her friend Anna Finkelstein at Station 28 when Finkelstein began to feel sick. Fanning told her to try and swim on her back. However, the currents proved too strong and people on the beach heard cries for help. Matt Ostrica, a visitor from Atlanta, swam about 100 yard in order to pull Fanning to safety. However, Finkelstein was never found and is presumed to have drowned. Chief Stith said that another aircraft was scheduled to do a flyover today in an effort to locate Finkelstein.
That same day, 39 year-old Tara McAllister of Goose Creek was pulled away from shore by dangerous currents at Station 12. She was found at about 6:05am at the waterline on Folly Beach near the old Coast Guard Station on the northern part of the island. In addition, a boy also drowned approximately 3 weeks ago at the Station 12 bringing this year’s total to three. Although Chief Stith did not want to “scare the hell out of people” he stated that every part of the Sullivan’s Island beach can be dangerous and every beach access path has a sign warning people of the dangerous currents.
“People just want to go to the sandbars,” Chief Stith said. “People need to start taking responsibility.”
On Sunday, two individuals attempted to swim to the sandbar at Station 18 but realized it was much farther than it looked. They got too far to come back to shore and were fortunate to make it to the sandbar where they were able to signal for help. A group in a large raft were taken towards Breach Inlet, a popular spot with a huge, exposed sandbar during low tide. The image is peaceful, Stith says, but a very different story when the tide starts running. In fact, people can receive a fine for even swimming at Breach Inlet, an area so dangerous that a sign starring the Grim Reaper warns people to stay out of the water. Three people were taken to the hospital, one in very bad shape.
The recent string of water incidents are a reminder that we live in a dangerous area, Sullivan’s Island Mayor Carl Smith said. Conditions can change rapidly as wind, swell, geography and tides can all play a factor in generating deadly waters. It’s important to realize that taking a chance with strong currents can be the gamble of your life.
“If you can’t stand up in knee-deep water, get out of the water,” Stith says.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families of those who have become recent victims in the waters of Sullivan’s Island.
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