When the Horry County Fire Rescue reported a mass casualty event in the early hours of Sunday, May 24, the Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival made national news — again.
The incident, which HCFR called a “stampede,” left 19 people injured and three hospitalized, sparking scrutiny and criticism. In light of a second year of crowd confusion and hospitalizations, citizens took to social media, arguing what, if anything, should be done.
Despite the recent crowd chaos and criticism, there aren’t currently discussions in place about potential changes for future rallies. Instead, town leadership maintains the annual festival doesn’t need to change…