Local surfer Liam Becker awarded the Good Neighbor Award by City of Folly Beach
By Lorne Chambers | Editor
May 12 seemed like an average Saturday on Folly Beach. Local surfer and businessman Liam Becker took his longboard down to the pier hoping to ride a few of the small waves. But it was one of the first really nice days of the season and “everyone and their mother was there,” recalls Becker.
After dodging swimmers for a while he ended up on the east side of the pier and beside a fellow surfer who also happened to be a customer who had recently bought a surfboard from Becker’s company Shred Season. The two were sitting on their boards chatting and waiting for a wave when the other surfer saw what looked like a person out far beyond the break. Becker looked towards the horizon and spotted a man who looked to be drowning. And then he saw people frantically running into the water.
Becker didn’t think, he just reacted. He began paddling as hard as he could until he got the man, who had gotten caught in what Becker described as “one of the biggest riptides” he’d ever seen. Becker would later find out that the man’s name was Chris and that he suffered from asthma. By the time that Becker got to him Chris couldn’t even speak and was so fatigued that Becker had to help him put his hands on the rail of his board.
“Luckily the waves were small that day and I had my long board,” says Becker. And although Chris outsized Becker by about 50 pounds, the seasoned surfer was able to get the man on his board and began paddling him towards the shore.
But they were still far out and Becker himself was getting fatigued. “Looking at the pier we noticed we were still getting pulled out,” says Becker who continued to paddle and eventually got close enough in that the guy he was surfing next to and two younger surfers with beginner boards met him and Chris.
A few moments later, Chris was safely on shore. His girlfriend was frantic. His friends handed him his inhaler. Chris was rattled but otherwise safe. “He was super grateful and he and his girlfriend have been very thankful,” says Becker, who has kept in touch with the couple.
At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 10, City of Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin presented Becker with the Good Neighbor Award. “Presented for an outstanding feat of bravery and life-saving skills demonstrated on May 12,” says Goodwin. “It’s just another example how surfers serve the City of Folly Beach as volunteers … volunteer life preservers and goodwill spreaders.”
Nancy Hussey of Surfers Healing nominated Becker for the award. Becker also is a volunteer for the surf camp, which is held this month on Folly Beach and helps children with autism by taking them surfing.
“It really blew my mind. It was really heartfelt. I definitely feel like part of the community here and that really makes me feel good,” says Becker of receiving the Good Neighbor Award. “Folly Beach is my favorite place in the world. I love the people and the culture and how your neighbor is your best friend in time of trouble.”
But like a true hero, Becker doesn’t see himself as one. “We’re all super lucky to live here and Folly is full of a lot of really awesome surfers,” he said upon receiving the award at council. “I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the surfer community here for several years now and what happened that day any surfer out there would have done the exact same thing”
