DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A North Carolina family says they owe their lives to a DeKalb County school teacher who drowned while pulling their 10-year-old girl out of a dangerous rip current at Myrtle Beach.
Ernest McCallum was packing up to leave the beach on Aug. 7 when something caught his eye — his niece, Summer, floating strangely in the water. At first he thought she was just playing around.
That changed fast when 47-year-old Derrick Moore, a stranger nearby, shouted out that the girl needed help.
Racing Into the Water
McCallum and Moore both sprinted into the ocean. But the current was brutal, and McCallum quickly found himself in over his head — literally.
He described the moment he realized he couldn’t fight the waves any longer, his strength gone and no footing left beneath him.
While McCallum struggled, Moore stayed with Summer, keeping her afloat until other beachgoers arrived to help. Summer later said Moore told her to hold onto his arm and kept close behind her as another swimmer helped bring her in.
She believed Moore was right behind her the whole time. He wasn’t. The current pulled him under, and rescue crews spent hours searching before recovering his body the next morning.
“He Gave Up Everything”
For McCallum, survival has come with a weight he’s still carrying.
He said losing Moore while he and his niece lived left him searching for meaning in the tragedy — a sense that there had to be a bigger reason behind what happened that day.
Coach Moore’s Legacy in DeKalb Schools
Long before that day at the beach, Moore had already built a legacy back home. He spent more than two decades with DeKalb County School District, teaching at both Rockbridge and Jolly elementary schools, where students and parents simply called him “Coach Moore.”
School officials say his impact went far beyond the classroom, touching students, coworkers, and parents alike.
His mother, Suzette Moore, said running toward danger to help a stranger was simply who her son was — a description echoed by everyone who knew him.
Moore leaves behind three sons and a daughter. He would have turned 48 this October.
Services and How to Help
A memorial service honoring Moore is set for Aug. 22, handled by Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home.
Moore’s family has started a GoFundMe to support his children moving forward.
Authorities have not yet released details on the specific water conditions or safety warnings in place at Myrtle Beach at the time of the incident.