Paramedics with Midway Fire and Rescue were called to aid a swimmer in distress at around 12:30 p.m. Pawleys Island Police also responded and reached the scene first.
They arrived to find a bystander had just pulled the man to shore.
The man was treated on the scene by paramedics and taken to Waccamaw Community Hospital.
Midway and Pawleys police rescued seven people from Midway Inlet on the North end of the island earlier this week. A 7-year-old girl tried to help her 2-year-old brother who was caught in a rip current at Midway Inlet on Sunday morning, according to police. The girl ended up in distress, too, leading five others, including bystanders and the children’s parents, to attempt a rescue.
Five of the seven were transported to Waccamaw Community Hospital after showing signs of “near drowning.”
It’s imperative that near drowning victims get medical attention, as secondary drowning can occur 24 to 48 hours later, said Midway Chief Doug Eggiman.
“A lot of times people refuse evaluation or treatment, or we might not even be called,” Eggiman said. “The problem with that is that if you ingest saltwater, it throws off the salt balance in the body and the body’s natural response is for fluid to go into the lungs to bring that salt content down.”
Ingesting water can also damage the inside surface of the lung, collapse the alveoli and cause a hardening of the lungs which will reduce the ability to exchange air.