Atlantic Beach Sc stampede injures 19 at bike festival

At least 19 people were injured in a stampede at the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival in atlantic beach sc at 1:05 a.m. Sunday, May 24. Horry County Fire Rescue described the incident as a mass casualty incident after authorities moved in near the stage area by South Ocean Boulevard.

Horry County Fire Rescue

Fire rescue said 19 patients were located and evaluated for injuries, and none were believed to be life-threatening at that time. Three people were transported to the hospital.

Titus Leaks, the interim town manager, said the incident began after one person started running and set off a brief chain reaction within the crowd. He said SLED personnel quickly accessed the stage and took control of the situation.

Atlantic Beach town response

Leaks said, "Our focus is on making sure people understand what actually occurred and the measures that were in place," and added, "This was a brief crowd reaction that was quickly identified and managed by law enforcement who were already in position. We planned ahead, we responded quickly, and we will continue to build on that to ensure the safety of everyone who visits Atlantic Beach,"

Town officials said there were no confirmed fights, weapons, or direct threats to public safety. The town said the crowd reaction lasted only seconds.

Black Pearl Festival weekend

The Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival has been held annually in Atlantic Beach over Memorial Day weekend for over 40 years. The town said authorities had multiple safety measures in place throughout the weekend.

For attendees and people headed to Atlantic Beach, the immediate takeaway is that the injury count stayed at 19 patients evaluated, with three hospital transports, while law enforcement took control within seconds of the stampede.