The family of Chase Childers, a former professional baseball player and police officer with the Cobb County Police Department in Georgia, is asking for prayers after he drowned Sunday while trying to save five others from drowning on Pawleys Island in South Carolina. He was 38.
“Words are hard to find at this moment. We deeply appreciate all the prayers, love, and support as our family, particularly his wife and three children, attempt to navigate life without Chase,” Jordan Hester Wicker wrote in a statement on Facebook on behalf of Childers’ family on Tuesday.
Childers played for North Cobb Christian High School and Georgia State University before he was picked up by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009, WMBF News reported. He later played in the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league system, according to Major League Baseball.
“We are saddened to learn of Chase’s passing and send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” an Orioles spokesperson said in a statement to the news outlet.
The Pawley’s Island Police Department said in a statement on X that at approximately 4:45 p.m. Sunday, they received a call that multiple swimmers were in distress near Shell Road Ocean. At around 6:15 p.m., they recovered the body of a man who had disappeared and was later identified as Childers.
“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,” the police said in their statement.
Wicker said Childers’ family has been devastated by his death.
“It feels surreal, incredibly hard to grasp, and profoundly unfair. Chase Childers was a remarkably talented man of many things,” he wrote, pointing to his background as a baseball player and police officer “who received a lifetime achievement award for saving several lives.”
“Most importantly, he 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,” he added.
He said Childers jumped into action Sunday to help save a family of five and paid the ultimate price.
“As a devoted husband and father, he displayed extraordinary courage and selflessness. In a heroic act, he saved a family of five in a moment of crisis in Pawleys Island on Sunday afternoon, putting their lives above his own,” Wicker explained.
“Tragically, after giving everything he had to save them, he 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. His bravery, kindness, and love will always be remembered.”
Childers’ self-sacrifice was highlighted in a GoFundMe Campaign to assist his wife and children. It has raised more than $121,000 so far.
Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry offered prayers to the family in a statement Monday, while urging caution at the town’s beaches.
“The Town is saddened by the report of the drowning over the weekend. We pray for the family members and offer our condolences,” he said.
“The Town urges caution when entering the water at any time and alertness of the ocean’s currents, particularly during high surf. While Pawleys Island beaches are consistently rated as some of the best on the entire East Coast, we would like them to be known as the safest as well,” Henry 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.”
