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A beloved Georgia elementary school teacher and father died after jumping into the ocean to save a young girl caught in a rip current off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to authorities and his family.
Derrick Moore, 47, entered the water near 10th Avenue South after a young girl became caught in a rip current at approximately 7:53 p.m. Friday, according to the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Moore was able to get the girl to safety but was then pulled underwater by the rip current and disappeared, police said. The incident occurred after lifeguards had gone off duty.
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Myrtle Beach police and firefighters continued searching for Moore into Saturday morning. Police announced Saturday afternoon that his body had washed ashore and was recovered.
Moore’s daughter told WRAL that her father did not know the girl he risked his life to save.
“We loved him and are truly heartbroken that he’s gone,” his daughter said in a statement to the outlet. “He was a great father and we are all going to miss him.”
Moore leaves behind four children, according to a GoFundMe page.
As news of his death spread, tributes poured in from Moore’s friends, former teammates and family members, who remembered him as a devoted father, gifted athlete and selfless man whose final act reflected the way he lived his life.
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The DeKalb County School District confirmed Moore was a current teacher at Rockbridge Elementary School in Georgia, where his students affectionately referred to him as “Coach.” He previously taught at Jolly Elementary School.
“The DeKalb County School District is deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Derrick Moore, a beloved educator and valued member of the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) family,” the district said in a statement.
The district said Moore “made a meaningful impact on the students, families, colleagues, and communities he served,” adding that his “presence, care, and dedication to education will be deeply missed.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also paid tribute to Moore.
“Marty and I were heartbroken to learn of the tragic loss of Derrick Moore, a father, teacher, and coach,” Kemp said. “Please join us in praying for this hero’s family and the DeKalb County community as they mourn his loss.”
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Moore was also remembered as a standout athlete whose ties to sports stretched back to his college years.
Samford University said Moore graduated in 2001 and competed in both football and track and field.
“The Samford community mourns the loss of alumnus Derrick Moore, who tragically passed after rescuing a girl struggling in a rip current in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,” the university said in a statement.
The university remembered Moore as a “beloved teacher” and “true hero” and asked the Samford community to keep his family in their prayers.
Friends and former teammates also remembered Moore as someone who showed up for others, with one writing that the fact he gave his life trying to save someone else “tells you everything you need to know about the kind of man he was.”
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Family members echoed that sentiment, sharing memories of Moore as a devoted father, son and brother who made a point of being present for the people he loved.
One family member described Moore’s decision to enter the water to save a child he did not know as a fitting final example of his selflessness.
“You died a HERO. You died saving the life of a child, a stranger. What a Legacy,” the family member wrote.