A former Baltimore Orioles minor league player and police officer tragically lost his life when he dove into the water on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, to save a family of five from a vicious rip current, leading many to express their condolences online and raise over $160,000 for the heroic man’s family via GoFundMe.
For background, Chase Childers, 38, drowned on July 13, 2025, at Pawleys Island, South Carolina, after rescuing a family of five from a rip current. Childers is survived by his wife and three children, and he was reportedly a police officer in Cobb County, Georgia, and had previously played for the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league team.
In a statement published online on behalf of Childers’ family on July 15, 2025, Jordan Hester Wicker called the loss “surreal, incredibly hard to grasp, and profoundly unfair,” adding, “Chase Childers was a remarkably talented man of many things. He was a former professional baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles, a police officer in Cobb County who received a lifetime achievement award for saving several lives, a skilled fisherman, and a builder capable of constructing anything he envisioned.”
Moreover, Wicker said that Childers was “a loving son, a dedicated brother, a treasured friend, an exceptional father to his three wonderful children, and the husband of his beautiful wife, Nataley Childers, who had been his soulmate and best friend since they were teenagers.” Continuing, Wicker confirmed that Childers had perished when he “saved a family of five in a moment of crisis in Pawleys Island on Sunday afternoon, putting their lives above his own.”
In addition, Wicker wrote that Childers gave “everything he had” to save the family in distress, but was “unable to stay above water as the rip tide swept him away, ultimately paying the highest sacrifice with his life in front of his three children and wife.” Wicker continued, “His bravery, kindness, and love will always be remembered.”
Furthermore, Wicker asked for prayers for the Childers family and launched a GoFundMe to support Chase’s wife and children, which has since raised over $160,000. Additionally, Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry responded to the tragedy by writing, “The Town is saddened by the report of the drowning over the weekend. We pray for the family members and offer our condolences.”
Additionally, the Pawleys Island Police Department confirmed the details of Childers’ death in a statement on July 13, writing, “At apx 4:45 p.m. we received a call for multiple swimmers in distress near Shell Rd Ocean. One person was missing & a search was initiated by @MidwayFireResQ & PIPD. @USCG arrived on scene to assist.” The statement continued, “At apx 6:15 the missing man was recovered. We have the family in our prayers.”
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Chase’s alma mater, Georgia State University, also mourned his loss in a statement, explaining that while at Georgia State, Childers “quickly became one of the best all-around statistical four-year players in Panther history,” adding, “He finished his career at Georgia State as the all-time leader in walks (120) and second in sacrifice hits (28).”
Featured image credit: Chase Childers via Facebook