Where should you sit on beach? SC laws set spots for umbrellas, trucks. What about people?

Is there a safe place to sit on the beach?

Beach safety has been a topic for both officials and visitors after a Myrtle Beach woman was run over by an Horry County beach patrol officer on April 27, 2024, and later died at a local hospital.

Beaches along the Grand Strand have designated lanes for beach patrol vehicles and lifeguards implement umbrella lines to prevent beachgoers from placing their umbrellas in places that will block a safety official’s view of the water.

While there are various ordinances that stipulate such distances for vehicle access lanes on the beach, swimmers in the ocean and where umbrellas can be placed, there is no official “distance” that law enforcement or beach officials have for those sitting or conducting activities on the beach.

“As beach trucks and vehicles frequently drive lanes along the dune line and are very visible, we certainly hope people keep a safe distance from the lanes,” said Meredith Denari, city of Myrtle Beach director of public information, by email. “The emergency access lanes generally are 15-20 feet wide, but may be wider or skinnier depending on the area of the beach.”

In North Myrtle Beach, there are signs on the beach marking emergency vehicle entrances from the boulevard and advising beachgoers to stay clear of the area, according to Officer Patrick Wilkinson by email.

There were orange cones marking the vehicle access lane the day Sandra “Sandy” Schultz-Peters, 66, of Myrtle Beach, died of injuries after being struck by a police vehicle. She was sitting on the beach reading, and would come to that area of the beach near the Nash Street beach access often, people who knew her said.

What is visibility of a truck on beach?

There has been discussion about whether emergency trucks should be allowed on the beach, especially during the peak summer season. The Myrtle Beach area can see more than 17 million visitors each year.

One of the discussion points is that full-size trucks have a limited view over the hood of the vehicle.

According to a Consumer Reports analysis, industry data shows that the hood height of passenger trucks has increased by 11% since 2000. On some heavy-duty trucks, such as the Ford F-250, the front edge of the hood is now 55 inches or more off the ground. Data shows that drivers have poorer front sight lines, creating a blind spot that can hide a pedestrian or smaller car right in front of the truck.

The Horry County beach patrol uses Ford F-150 vehicles. It is unclear if that was the same type of vehicle involved in the accident on April 27, 2024.

Horry County officials have declined to release information about the accident, instead referring questions to the South Carolina Highway Patrol which is investigating the incident.

The SCHP has not released the report, citing that the investigation is ongoing.

Vehicle access lanes

Horry County, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach all have ordinances that give law enforcement the ability to create emergency and authorized vehicle access lanes on the beach.

The Horry County ordinance says that the vehicle access lane would extend from the primary dune line to the water. The ordinance also says that vehicle access lanes can be established at a width of 10 feet that would extend from the lifeguard stand toward the primary dune line.

And while the ordinance states that no umbrellas, shading devices or other obstructions can be placed inside the access lanes, it doesn’t specify about a person sitting in the lanes.

It appears based on photos that Schultz-Peters was sitting outside the cones marking the vehicle access lane on the day of the accident near the Nash Street beach access outside Myrtle Beach. Witnesses and residents who live near the beach said that beach patrol officers and lifeguards frequently ask people to move if they are located in the access lane.

Horry County has not altered its cones use on the beach following the accident, according to Horry County spokesperson Mikayla Moskov by text. Since the deadly accident, the county has decreased its use of trucks on the beach and instead has increased the use of foot and ATV patrols.

Placement of umbrellas

Umbrellas, shading devices or other obstructions cannot be placed within 10 feet of any established umbrella line. If there is no established umbrella line, than umbrellas and shading devices must be placed above the high-tide line, according to the ordinance.

In Myrtle Beach, umbrellas are allowed in-line with, or behind, the established umbrella line, which is usually established by the beach services companies.