Former Cobb County officer dies during heroic water rescue in South Carolina

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. – A former Cobb County police officer is being hailed a hero after he died while rescuing swimmers caught in a dangerous rip current off the South Carolina coast.

What we know:

Anderson “Chase” Childers, 38, of Dallas, Paulding County, died on July 13 while vacationing at Pawleys Island. According to authorities, several swimmers were struggling in the ocean when Childers jumped into action.

Pawleys Island Police Chief Michael Fanning said Childers didn’t hesitate when someone asked for help.

“His first responder instincts kicked in and he went to the water to save people,” Fanning said.

Another bystander joined the rescue, and together they helped five people make it safely back to shore. However, Childers disappeared in the water during the effort.

Emergency responders from Midway Fire Rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard launched a search. Childers’ body was recovered around 6:15 p.m., roughly 90 minutes after the initial distress call was made at 4:45 p.m.

Childers was a father of three and had previously received a lifesaving award during his time with the Cobb County Police Department, according to a post on GoFundMe. His family told News 2 in South Carolina that he had always acted selflessly to help others.

In addition to his law enforcement service, Childers had a background in sports. The GoFundMe campaign organized in his memory notes that he played professional baseball for the Baltimore Orioles after attending Georgia State University.

What we don’t know:

At this time, it does not appear that funeral plans have been announced for Childers.