Overview
- A stampede broke out just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, May 24, near a stage at the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival when an individual reportedly began running through a packed crowd.
- Horry County Fire Rescue said 19 people were evaluated for mostly non-life-threatening injuries and three were taken to hospitals, and officials warned others may have self-transported for care.
- Multiple law enforcement and emergency agencies on site declared a mass-casualty response to coordinate treatment, quickly calmed the crowd, and allowed the festival to resume after the scene was stabilized.
- Town officials said there were no confirmed fights, weapons, or direct threats and investigators are now reviewing the episode to confirm the cause, identify any unassessed victims, and recommend safety changes.
- The Black Pearl festival is a long-running Memorial Day weekend motorcycle rally that draws very large crowds to Atlantic Beach, and last year’s disturbances in the area have increased focus on crowd-control planning for future events.