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Who was Chase Childers? Former pro baseball player hailed a hero as he drowns after trying to save family

Chase Childers died while trying to save a family from drowning.
posted by Shreya Ghosh
Thursday 7/17/2025 at 5:20AM EDT
  • Lake Image (Image via Everett Collection) (It's a representational image of a flood)
    Lake Image (Image via Everett Collection) (It's a representational image of a flood)

    Chase Childers, a former professional baseball player, died while trying to save swimmers in South Carolina. He selflessly jumped into the dangerous rip current to rescue five family members drowning in the water. 

    According to a People report, the Pawleys Island Police Department confirmed the tragic demise of the former Cobb County police officer, who died on July 13, 2025, at the age of 38.

    As per Fox 5 Atlanta, the Dallas resident was on a trip to Pawleys Island when he jumped into distress to protect the family from the South Carolina coast. People are applauding him for his courageous act of dying while rescuing others.

    In the wee hours of July 14, 2025, the official feed of the Pawleys Island Police updated on the incident on X (formerly Twitter). According to the post, the police station "received a call for multiple swimmers in distress near Shell Rd Ocean" at around 4:45 PM.

    At that time, a person was found missing. Hence, the Midway Fire Rescue and PIPD started a search. The U.S. Coast Guard was also positioned to help. The teams recovered the man at nearly 6:15 PM.

    Later on Tuesday evening, the department further shared updates on Sunday's incident. The post stated,

    "The victim, Chase Childers, and another person entered the water to help 4-5 individuals who were in distress. Sadly, Mr. Childers was caught in the rip current, as well. He died trying to save others."

    Everything we know about Chase Childers' unfortunate death

    Fox 5 Atlanta reported Pawleys Island Police Chief Michael Fanning's statement on the accident. According to his remarks, Chase did not delay further and jumped straight into the current. He noted,

    "His first responder instincts kicked in and he went to the water to save people."

    Childers was joined by another kind-hearted onlooker. Throughout the strong flow of water, they managed to rescue all five trapped people. While returning to the safe shore, the late lawman went missing all of a sudden.

    Soon, people nearby informed the authorities about his unexpected disappearance. Teams of Midway Fire Rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard found his body at approximately 6:15 PM, after 90 minutes. 

    People cited Georgetown County Sheriff's Office's statement on July 13, noting that the authorities

    "participated in the recovery of a body from the ocean today after a swimmer in distress was reported just after 5 PM."

    Chase Childers' family expressed their sentiment while releasing a statement to News 2. It reads,

    "Chase was a truly selfless individual, always prioritizing the safety of others above his own. Without hesitation, he would leap into action whenever someone was in need, ready to tackle any challenge that came his way. To his family and all who knew him, he will forever be remembered as a hero."

    According to the outlet, the former pro baseball player did not hesitate to help others caught in torment previously, too. In 2012, he was awarded the Cobb County Police Department Life Saving award for his compassionate contributions during his tenure as a police officer.

    Only July 14, Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry also mourned Chase's accident, stating,

    "The Town is saddened by the report of the drowning over the weekend.  We pray for the family members and offer our condolences."

    Reflecting on the previous drowning incidents and requesting people to be careful, he further continued,

    "We regret the recent drownings and Town Council will investigate all means available to mitigate the risk of future occurrences, including efforts to educate visitors on the dangers of rip currents."

    News 2 confirmed that Chase's demise was the fifth drowning incident on Pawleys Island since June 2023. It also marked the second in July 2025, according to the officials' statement. Now, the concerned departments are getting more vigilant and taking necessary action for a safer experience at the location.

    Michael Fanning, Pawleys Island Police Chief, discussed the future plans to avoid similar life-threatening accidents on Pawleys Island. As the outlet reported recently, he explained,

    "We’re working to educate the people who rent here, the people who visit here. We’re getting magnets for all the houses that explain rip currents and how to deal with it. We’re going to put up extra signage in the areas that are prone to these rip currents."

    Delving further into controlling emergencies, he added,

    "We have life rings at all beach accesses, but I think we need to increase life rings in certain areas that are hazard prone."

    Chase Childers' life explored

    He was born in Nashville

    From playing baseball to serving as a police officer, Chase has donned several professional hats in his life of 38 years. As per the New York Post, Nashville, Tennessee-born Childers grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia. He attended North Cobb Christian High School and played baseball for his team. Later, he joined Georgia State University to pursue his higher studies. 

    From baseball to serving his country

    According to a GoFundMe campaign conducted for his family, Childers played the sport with the Baltimore Orioles before transitioning his career into policing. Additionally, he also played second base and shortstop in the minor league system till 2010, the New York Post confirmed. 

    According to Georgia State University's official website, the former pro concluded his career at Georgia State with the all-time leader in walks (120). Also, he is placed second in sacrifice hits (28). Interestingly, he is one of the nine players to record more than 200 hits in the history of Georgia State. The 6'1" athlete also became the ninth-best player in his school history with 132 runs batted in. 

    In 2008, Chase clinched the sixth position in batting and led his club with 37 walks. For this achievement, he was also selected for the All-CAA Third-Team. The next year, he was chosen as the CAA Player of the Week during his senior season.

    After baseball, he was stationed in the Cobb County Police Department in Georgia as a uniformed patrol officer. He worked at the department for more than three years.

    Besides his professional excellence, Childers was also

    "a skilled fisherman, and a builder capable of constructing anything he envisioned."

    He is remembered as 

    "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, who had been his soulmate and best friend since they were teenagers."

    Chase was married to Nataley, and they had three kids, too. While he risked his life to save the drowning family during his vacation in South Carolina, his wife and children were present too. According to the New York Post, he disappeared into the water currents right in front of his loved ones. 

    A GoFundMe campaign has been organized

    To raise $100K to support Chase's family in this anguish, Jordan Wicker organized a GoFundMe campaign in his memory. The organizer expressed his grief, writing,

    "We are devastated by the tragic loss of our beloved Chase. It feels surreal, incredibly hard to grasp, and profoundly unfair."

    The GoFundMe description further reads,

    "These funds will go to support Nataley and their sweet children as they try to heal from the painful loss of Chase, who was tragically taken from this world far too soon and will always be remembered as a Hero."

    At the time of publishing, 660 people have come together to donate $84,727.

    TOPICS: Chase Childers


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