Spring break 2023 brings major new safety changes to Myrtle Beach-area shores. What to know

Thousands of spring break visitors headed for the Grand Strand’s shores later this season are poised to enjoy safer waters after Myrtle Beach and county leaders rewrote long-standing life guarding policies.

On March 28, the city council is expected to alter contracts with providers John’s and Lack’s beach services, requiring each to discontinue a “dual role” model of coverage that has some lifeguards splitting their responsibilities between monitoring swimmers and handling equipment rentals.

The city’s revised deals, which would go into effect April 15 and run through September 2024 with John’s and September 2025 would split commercial and rescue duties.

Under the new contracts, providers would continue to hire and train lifeguards but hire additional staff to run rental operations.

The city council appointed beach advisory committee supports the revisions, which come on the heels of a $20.7 million civil verdict against Lack’s last summer. A jury ruled the dual role guard model contributed to the 2018 drowning death of Zerihun Wolde while on vacation.

“The family is most proud about the fact it (the lawsuit) affected change. And I’m so excited the summer is going to go on without dual role life guarding. That would have been terrible,” Chris Pracht, an attorney who represented Wolde’s estate, said March 27.

Horry County officials voted March 21 to scuttle the dual role system that’s long been in place along its nine miles of oceanfront.