Overview
- Emergency crews evaluated 19 people and transported three with non-life-threatening injuries after a crowd crush broke out just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, May 24, near a stage on South Ocean Boulevard.
- Horry County Fire Rescue declared a mass casualty incident to coordinate care and multiple law-enforcement teams, including SLED and the state Department of Natural Resources, quickly calmed the crowd and restored order.
- Town officials say the episode was set off when an individual ran through the dense crowd, and there were no confirmed fights, weapons, or direct threats reported at the scene.
- Authorities warned that additional victims may have self-transported to hospitals or gone unreported and said they will review the response and existing crowd-control plans with public-safety partners.
- The stampede occurred during the long-running Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival, a high-attendance Memorial Day event that officials say will undergo after-action reviews to identify safety improvements.