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| Long-term swimming advisory signs are posted at this location. Swimming is not advised within 200 feet on either side of the sign because high bacteria levels may be present, especially following rain due to storm water runoff. Wading, fishing, and shell collecting do not present a risk. Health problems typically come from swallowing the water. |
As of ย Thursday, ย March 10, 2016, the City of Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea put up aย notice (see below) on the City Of Myrtle Beach mobile website homepage. ย With noย new water quality report results to refute the State DHEC site, ย Kruea states the “water quality is fine”. ย Though the spokesperson seems to indicate there is not a DHEC advisory listing, ย Kruea recently discussedย the DHEC’S LONG TERM ADVISORYย in an interview with the local ABC station. ย ย (*SEE VIDEO posted below)
(Screenshot of City of Myrtle Beach mobile view website home page 3/10/2016)
Theseย recentย contradictory communications from the cityย have confused some readers. ย MyrtleBeachSC.com provides the below for clarification.
SUMMARY: ย
DHEC stands for Department of Health and Environmental Control
Areas in the city of Myrtle Beach were listed on the DHEC site:ย http://gis.dhec.sc.gov/beachaccess/ ย ย as SWIMMING NOT ADVISED up and until March 5th.
On March 5th, ย DHEC changed those areas on the maps to: ย LONG TERM ADVISORY, ย with a yellow caution signal.
On March 10th, ย Mark Kruea from the City of Myrtle Beachย posts a statement on the city’s mobile website:
-stating Myrtle Beach is NOT under a “no swimming” advisory. ย He is correct as that language was changed by the State to LONG TERM ADVISORY. ย However, he does not acknowledge the LONG TERM ADVISORY.
-stating that WATER QUALITY IS FINE, ย but the city sites no new test results to prove this assertion.
-Advisory on the State DHEC site has not changed in any way nor has DHEC communicated any plans to do so.
-statesย that the information being promoted elsewhere isย NOT accurate. ย He does not state directly where that elsewhere is, ย but the articles both locally and nationally we have seen ย including TripAdvisor, The Examiner, WFXB TV, and MyrtleBeachSC.com all point to the DHEC website.
-statesย the information online is Obviously Wrong and Misleading..ย .our research has shown that all information covered by every news organization we have been made aware ofย points to the SCDHEC website.
-Compare Kruea’s careful languageย to the ratingsย on the ย State of South Carolina Department of Health And Environmental Control Website (click here)
IN CONCLUSION:
The State of South Carolina continues to rate areas in the city of Myrtle Beach as on the LONG TERM SWIMMING ADVISORY. ย Testing will be done again in May
The City of Myrtle Beach refutes those statements with a global statement thatย water qualityย is fine. ย They have produced no test resultsย nor published any other evidence contradicting the SCDHEC website rankings.
KRUEA AND DHEC SPOKESMANย JIM BEASLEY CONFIRM LONG TERM ADVISORY JUST THIS WEEK ON TV (Click on Video)
The most common recreational water illnesses from swimming in ocean areas with high bacteria readings are gastrointestinal and may cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain or fever. These illnesses result from swallowing water contaminated by disease-causing organisms. Contact with contaminated water can also cause upper respiratory (ear, nose and throat), and wound infections. Young children, the elderly, and those with a weakened immune system are particularly vulnerable to recreational water illnesses.
