Rishard Pyatt was a senior at Waccamaw High School and the students said he will be missed.
The Sandy Island landing looking back toward Waccamaw Neck. (File photo by David Green/Weekly Observer)
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The school has counselors available and even some of the faculty members said dealing with the loss the popular basketball player, who died when a boat he was riding in Wednesday night sank in the Waccamw River, will be tough.
“Every time I saw him in the hallways he’d always speak and it was like that with all the whole students body he knew them very well, he’s been here three years, member of my varsity basketball team, someone who took whatever was given him and made positive out of it and as a result, my building in mourning right now, they’re very upset.” said Principal David Hammel.
There are more than 700 students at the Georgetown County High School and the principal Hammel said just about everyone of has been affected by the loss of not one, but two students.
Shaquatia Robinson, 19, graduated from Waccamaw High in 2007, Hammel said the popular young lady was on the school's step team and a member of TAD, Teens Against Drugs.
The loss of 17-year-old Rishard Pyatt has also hit the students and faculty, hard. Pyatt was a shooting guard on the varsity basketball team.
Coach Michael Quinn said the team met Thursday morning to pray for a miracle, but now they are focused on the healing process. Quinn said Rishard was more than just a player and teammate, he was a very special young man, Coach Quinn said they don't come any finer.
“His positive nature, I mean when we had a loss and we had a lot of tough losses this year, as the other players wrote in their letters, that's who they turned to, so I mean what he did for us was priceless and now he's hopefully embedded in all those kids for the rest of their lives." Quinn said.
The letters are ones the basketball players wrote to Rishard's grandmother.
Quinn said they hope to deliver the letters to her personally and let her know just how much they appreciated the young man she raised and the powerful impact he had on the entire community.
Hammel said at the family's request, funeral services for all three, including LuAnn Robinson, Shaquatia’s mother, will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the schools gymnasium.
Hammel said the funeral will be open to the public and school will dismiss at 1:30 p.m. so the students can attend the service.
Hammel also said a fund is set up for the family in the front office, if people would like to donate.
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