Overview
- Horry County officials reported a reported stampede near the stage at an Atlantic Beach Memorial Day festival that led first responders to evaluate 19 people for mostly non-life-threatening injuries.
- Three people were taken to local hospitals for further treatment while crews treated others on site and continued to secure the area.
- Authorities have not identified a cause for the crowd surge and have warned they have not ruled out additional victims who may not yet have been checked by first responders.
- The incident occurred during the annual Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival, a large Memorial Day event that draws very large crowds to Atlantic Beach and the Myrtle Beach area.
- Investigators remain on scene gathering information and the active response raises questions about crowd management and medical access at large public gatherings this holiday weekend.