Woman caught in rip current nearly drowns on Edisto beach, firefighters say

Photo provided by Colleton County Fire Department

EDISTO ISLAND, SC (WCBD) – A woman was flown to the hospital Wednesday after nearly drowning on Edisto Beach.

Emergency crews were dispatched to a location off Palmetto Boulevard around 5:30 p.m. for a person caught in a rip current.

The woman was offshore when emergency crews arrived.

“The 14 crew members, both marines, donned life jackets and entered the ocean. They swam to the woman and pulled her to shore,” Colleton County firefighters said.

The woman had stopped breathing after being brought back to the beach, but first responders were able to revive her. She was placed on an ATV and taken from the beach to a nearby ambulance.

She was eventually flown to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. His condition is unknown.