People in Garden City using caution around ocean

As the search for a boy who went missing in the ocean in Garden City continues, people going swimming are being asked by lifeguards to not walk past where the water reaches their knees.

By: | SCNOW
Published: July 24, 2009

As the search for a boy who went missing in the ocean in Garden City continues, people going swimming are being asked by lifeguards to not walk past where the water reaches their knees.

Several Horry County Police officers have been patrolling around the area where the boy went missing, in case other people need help in the ocean. Some officers say the ocean was rougher Friday than it was Thursday.

Some people are avoiding the ocean altogether.

"I'm just scared because it looks rough like yesterday and I just don't want it to happen to me," said Victoria Vasilko.

Macy Senge added, "No, because the water looks rough and just from everything happening, we're just kind of scared."

Many other people have been staying out of the ocean, including Chuck Wojno and his three daughters, who are on vacation from Michigan. Wojno says they are still worried by what they saw on Thursday in Garden City.

"We saw his head, and then the next wave that came in, we didn't see him after that," Wojno said.

Lt. Darris Fowler of the Horry County Police said rip tides may have caused the boy to drown. He says they can move fast and suck a person out to sea. People who insist on swimming should float on the surface or swim parallel to the shore if they get stuck in rip tides.

"The problem with rips is you may have one straight out in front of you that lasts twenty minutes and then there may be another one or two miles down the beach," Fowler said.