Derrick Moore jumped into the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, Aug. 7, to save a girl he had never met. He got her to shore. He did not come back.

Moore, 47, a physical education teacher at Rockbridge Elementary School in DeKalb County, drowned after rescuing the child from a rip current off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. His body washed ashore Saturday, Aug. 8, about a mile from where he entered the water, according to MyrtleBeachSC.com, citing the Horry County Coroner's Office.

The loss hit DeKalb County Schools in the second week of the new school year. The district deployed counselors and trained support staff to Rockbridge Elementary and Jolly Elementary School, where Moore previously taught, according to Decaturish's reporting on the Aug. 10 board meeting.

'That's just who he is'

Moore spent more than 20 years in DeKalb County Schools. Students called him "Coach." He won Teacher of the Year at Jolly Elementary in 2024 before transferring to Rockbridge, where he taught physical education and health.

At the opening of the DeKalb County Schools board meeting on Monday, Aug. 10, interim superintendent Norman C. Sauce III honored Moore, telling board members that Moore's family revealed this was not the first time he had acted heroically. Moore had also saved his own mother's life years earlier, Sauce said.

"He was a dedicated educator who cared deeply for his students and school community, and he will be sorely missed," Sauce said. "We applaud his bravery and his courage on so many levels."

Moore's mother, Suzette Moore, told Fox 5 Atlanta that her son's actions were no surprise: "If it didn't happen, it wouldn't have been him. That's just who he is."

What happened in Myrtle Beach

Moore was at the beach Friday evening when he saw the girl caught in a rip current. Lifeguards had already left for the day. He pulled her to safety, then collapsed and was swept back out, according to Myrtle Beach police. The Myrtle Beach Police Department, Myrtle Beach Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard conducted an aerial grid search overnight.

Moore's daughter told WRAL News on Aug. 9 that the family was devastated. Coworker Sherry Weeks told WMBF News that Moore was "just an amazing, amazing man" and that returning to school without him would be difficult.

Before teaching, Moore was a record-setting track and football athlete at Samford University, where some of his records still stand. He lived in Loganville, Georgia, and leaves behind four children, his mother and a brother.

Support available

School counselors and trained support personnel are available throughout the school day at both Rockbridge Elementary and Jolly Elementary. The district has not announced an end date for those services. Families seeking additional resources can contact DeKalb County Schools at dekalbschoolsga.org.