ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A Sunday morning incident during Atlantic Beach’s Black Bike Week festivities was “amplified beyond its context” in a social media post by Horry County Fire Rescue describing what happened, the interim town manager said.
Nineteen people were hurt in what Horry County Fire Rescue described as a “stampede incident” that broke out just after 1 a.m. near a stage on South Ocean Boulevard. Although all injuries were minor and officials later said no weapons were reported, the agency called it a “mass casualty” event due to the number of reported patients.
The story quickly gained national attention and led to renewed calls by some to shut down the event, which is formally called the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival.
It would have been beneficial for additional context to be provided regarding the reported “mass casualty” incident, including the nature and severity of injuries. Many of the reported cases were minor—such as scrapes and bruises—and were treated on-site. Greater clarity from EMS to media outlets could have helped prevent the spread of misleading narratives that negatively impact the perception of the festival,” interim town manager Titus Leaks said in a statement on Monday…