Georgia teacher Derrick Moore dies saving girl from Myrtle Beach rip current
Derrick Moore, a 47-year-old elementary school teacher and father of four from Georgia, died Friday evening after entering the ocean near 10th Avenue South in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to pull a young girl from a rip current. Moore brought the girl to safety. The current then pulled him under.
Key takeaways
- Derrick Moore, a 47-year-old Georgia elementary school teacher and father of four, died Friday evening after pulling a young girl from a rip current near 10th Avenue South in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
- Moore brought the girl, a stranger to his family, safely to shore before the current pulled him under; his body washed ashore and was recovered Saturday afternoon.
- He entered the water at approximately 7:53 p.m. Friday after lifeguards had already gone off duty.
- Moore taught at Rockbridge Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia, where students called him 'Coach,' and had graduated from Samford University in 2001 as a football and track and field athlete.
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, his wife Marty, Samford University, and the DeKalb County School District all paid tribute, and a GoFundMe page was established in his name.
Derrick Moore, a 47-year-old elementary school teacher and father of four from Georgia, died Friday evening after entering the ocean near 10th Avenue South in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to pull a young girl from a rip current. Moore brought the girl to safety. The current then pulled him under.
Myrtle Beach police and firefighters searched through Saturday morning. His body was recovered after washing ashore Saturday afternoon, according to the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
The rescue
The department said Moore entered the water at approximately 7:53 p.m. Friday, after lifeguards had already gone off duty. A young girl had become caught in the rip current. Moore, who did not know her, went in and got her to shore. He then disappeared beneath the surface.
His daughter confirmed to WRAL that the girl was a stranger to the family. "We loved him and are truly heartbroken that he's gone," she said in a statement. "He was a great father and we are all going to miss him."
The man behind the act
Moore taught at Rockbridge Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia, where students knew him as "Coach." He had previously taught at Jolly Elementary School. The DeKalb County School District confirmed his death and said Moore had "made a meaningful impact on the students, families, colleagues, and communities he served," adding that his "presence, care, and dedication to education will be deeply missed."
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife Marty said they were "heartbroken" to learn of Moore's death, calling him a "hero" and asking the public to pray for his family and the DeKalb County community.
Samford University said Moore graduated in 2001 after competing in both football and track and field. The university called him a "beloved teacher" and "true hero."
Tributes and what remains
Friends and former teammates described Moore as a man who showed up for the people around him. One wrote that his willingness to enter the water for a child he had never met "tells you everything you need to know about the kind of man he was."
A family member wrote directly: "You died a HERO. You died saving the life of a child, a stranger. What a Legacy."
Moore leaves behind four children. A GoFundMe page has been established in his name.
Filed by the newsroom of MarketPR on August 12, 2026. Source: foxnews.com. Indicative figures are not investment advice.