Teen surfer identified in Surfside Beach drowning

A 17-year-old male surfer drowned Monday morning in Surfside Beach.

Aiden Keahi Thomas Mendoza of Surfside Beach was pulled from the water about 7:30 a.m. near the 1600^th block of South Ocean Boulevard, according to Horry County Coroner Robert Edge.

Two physicians staying at a nearby condo saw Mendoza and grabbed him from the water, according to Fire Captain Prentice Williams with Surfside Beach Fire Department.

A bystander tried CPR, along with arriving rescue crews, but attempts were unsuccessful, Edge said.

Surfside Beach police were also called to the scene, according to Williams. Edge said an autopsy revealed Mendoza’s cause of death was drowning.

Mendoza was a cross country runner and student at Socastee High School, and he had signed to run in college at Anderson University.

This story was originally published December 26, 2016 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Teen surfer identified in Surfside Beach drowning."