Former GA Officer Dies In Rip Current After Saving Family Of 5

PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC — A former Cobb County police officer and former Major League Baseball player is dead after saving a family of five from a South Carolina rip current.

Cobb County Police on Thursday called former Officer Chase Childers' efforts "selfless."

Around 4:45 p.m. Sunday, Pawleys Island (South Carolina) Police said multiple swimmers were in distress near Shell Road Ocean, where Childers and another person were trying to save about four or five people from the water.

A rip current caught Childers, and he died, Pawleys Island Police said. His body was recovered around 6:15 p.m. Sunday.

In addition to his career with MLB and Cobb County Police, Childers was a fisherman and builder, wrote Jordan Wicker on Facebook.

Wicker is also the organizer of a GoFundMe established to benefit Childers' family. The GoFundMe indicated Childers was successful in saving a family of five.

Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry said Town Council will investigate ways to mitigate risks of drownings via rip currents.

"The Town is saddened by the report of the drowning over the weekend," he said in a Facebook post published Tuesday. "We pray for the family members and offer our condolences."

Childers, a husband and father of three children, first signed with the Baltimore Orioles on June 26, 2009 before serving with Cobb County Police from 2011-14.

South Carolina was not the first time Childers lent his efforts to protect others. Police said he received the Life Saving Award for "stepping in without hesitation to protect a life" in 2012.

"Even after leaving law enforcement, Chase continued to serve. His actions this past weekend were not out of character, they were the embodiment of the same bravery and commitment he showed every day as an officer. His sacrifice is the highest form of honor, and we could not be prouder to call him one of our own," Cobb Police said in a news release Thursday, hailing Childers as a hero.

"... His legacy lives on in the lives he saved, the community he served, and the example he set. We will never forget Officer Chase Childers. He represented the very best, and he will forever be part of our Cobb County Police family. Rest easy, Chase. Your courage will never be forgotten."

More than $130,000 of the GoFundMe's $150,000 goal was collected as of Thursday afternoon.

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