Beloved Teacher Derrick Moore Dies While Saving 10-Year-Old Girl From Rip Current

Derrick Moore, a metro Atlanta father and beloved elementary school teacher, died while trying to save a 10-year-old girl who was caught in a dangerous rip current at Myrtle Beach, according to reports from 11 Alive and FOX 5 News.

Now, for the first time since the heartbreaking incident, the young girl Moore helped rescue is speaking publicly about what happened, and the one message she wishes she could have given the man who risked his life to save hers. 

What happened to Summer McCallum and Derrick Moore?

Summer McCallum was spending the day at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with her family on Friday evening, Aug. 7, when a routine beach outing suddenly turned terrifying. The 10-year-old became caught in a rip current and was pulled farther away from shore.

“I was just scared and then my feet couldn’t touch the ground,” Summer McCallum said.

The frightening situation unfolded around 8 p.m. while Summer and her family were near the water. Her uncle, Ernest McCallum, was on the beach gathering their belongings when he looked up and noticed his niece struggling in the ocean. There were no lifeguards on duty at the time of the incident, according to FOX 5 News.

At first, Ernest said he wasn’t sure Summer was actually in danger.

“I turned around, and I see her head just looking straight up at the sky,” he said. “I’m thinking, is she, is she — she must be playing, because I just seen her and everything was fine.”

But it quickly became clear that Summer was being carried farther from shore by the current.

Ernest immediately rushed into the water in an attempt to reach her.

“I’m swimming, I’m swimming, now I’m not feeling nothing under my feet,” Ernest said. “It was crazy, you know, the waves hitting me.”

As Ernest struggled against the waves and current, other beachgoers noticed what was happening and entered the water to help. Among them was Moore, a 47-year-old teacher from DeKalb County, Georgia, who was visiting Myrtle Beach with his fiancée and her daughter.

Moore ultimately reached Summer and helped her stay afloat.

“I saw him coming, and he was like, ‘Grab, grab my arm,’ and I grabbed it,” Summer said. “But he was also struggling once he got to me.”

With the help of Moore and other bystanders, Summer was eventually brought to safety using a float and made it back to shore.

Moore, however, did not.

After helping Summer escape the current, Moore collapsed and was caught in the water. Despite the rescue efforts, he did not return to shore. His body resurfaced early Saturday morning, according to the Myrtle Beach Police Department.

Derrick Moore’s children, students and family are devastated by his passing.

The tragic loss has left Moore’s family, friends, colleagues and students mourning a man remembered for putting others before himself.

At Rockbridge Elementary School, where Moore worked as a teacher, colleagues and parents described him as someone who made a “meaningful impact” on the students around him. He was also remembered fondly at his former school, Jolly Elementary School, where those who knew him affectionately called him “coach,” according to FOX 5 News.

Moore was more than an educator. He was also a father of four who was deeply loved by his children.

On Aug. 10, several of his children spoke with 11 Alive about the loss of their father and the enormous impact he had on their lives.

“I — feel like I lost a piece of me. Because we were just, we were so close,” one of Moore’s sons told the outlet.

His children remembered him as a loving, supportive and encouraging father who constantly pushed them to become the best versions of themselves.

Moore’s brother also reflected on his determination, describing him as someone who didn’t back down once he made up his mind to accomplish something.

“If he made his mind up about doing something, it wasn’t nothing nobody going to do to convince him otherwise. And so it’s like even with saving this little girl, he would, he would have did it 100 times over.”

His family later learned through social media that he had also helped save Summer’s uncle during the chaotic rescue. For the family, that detail only reinforced the kind of person Moore was. One of his sons shared a particularly emotional reminder of his father’s character by pointing to the words Moore had chosen for his Instagram bio.

“My father’s Instagram bio ends with, ‘I work out. What’s your superpower?’’” another one of Moore’s sons told 11 Alive. “And the funny thing is his superpower was never his muscles, it was his heart.”

That sentiment has resonated with everyone who has learned about Moore’s final act of courage.

His family says he was the type of person who would instinctively step in when someone needed help, regardless of the risk to himself. In the final moments of his life, he did exactly that.

Moore’s dedication to education was also recognized during his lifetime. In 2024, he was honored as Teacher of the Year while working at Jolly Elementary School, another reflection of the influence he had on his students and school community.

For Summer McCallum, the stranger who entered the water to save her is someone she will never forget.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, students and loved ones of Derrick Moore during this tragic time.

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