At least 19 people were injured in a stampede at an annual motorcycle rally in South Carolina Sunday morning, local officials said.
Horry County Fire Rescue teams arrived at a “stage area” near South Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach around 1:05am, where they located patients with assistance from local police.
The Town of Atlantic Beach said the incident happened at the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival, held every Memorial Day weekend.
Three people were brought to hospital and others are believed to have sought treatment on their own. All injuries are thought to be non-life-threatening, Horry County Fire Rescue said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Atlantic Beach said the stampede started when a person began running, “causing a brief chain reaction within the crowd that lasted only seconds.”
“SLED [South Carolina Law Enforcement Division] personnel quickly accessed the stage and took control of the situation, addressing the crowd multiple times and clearly communicating that no incident had occurred and that individuals had simply started running,” interim Town Manager Titus Leaks said.
“Their swift response helped calm attendees and restore order.”
“At no time were there any confirmed fights, weapons, or direct threats to public safety,” Leaks added, emphasizing that it was “a brief crowd reaction” that “was quickly identified and managed by law enforcement who were already in position.”
“The Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival has been held for over 40 years and continues to attract visitors from across the country because of the positive experience it provides,” he said.
A number of crowd-control measures were in place throughout the weekend, including temporarily pausing incoming traffic into Atlantic Beach Friday night and Saturday evening.
Multiple emergency service crews were already stationed at the event, enabling them to respond immediately.
Officials said they will be reviewing the incident with public safety partners to identify additional safety enhancements.
The festival brings crowds of up to 40,000 people to Atlantic Beach each Memorial Day weekend, according to the town’s website.
