Horry residents flocked to the water as McMaster re-opened boat ramps amid coronavirus
The Intracoastal Waterway was anything but calm as public boat ramps re-opened Friday afternoon in Horry County.
“We’ve been cooped up for awhile and I’m looking forward to getting out on the water and fishing and enjoying some father-son time,” Florence County resident Anthony Ward said. “A lot of people have been trapped up in the house quarantined, but I think this gives everybody a little breather.”
About two weeks after S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster closed all public boat landings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, he reversed his executive order now allowing ramps to stay open during the fishing season so long as everyone complies with the recommendations to social distance, noting that law enforcement and S.C. Department of Natural Resources will continue to break up crowds exceeding three people.
Currently, all vessels, including a boat, jet ski or kayak, are all allowed to launch and retrieve from the public landings and ramps if opened, according to Kaley Lawrimore, Public Information Officer with S.C. Department of Natural Resources. While families and those living in the same household are allowed in the same vessel on the waterway, the order states that no more than two people can be in a boat.
Beaching or rafting of boats is not allowed and boaters are prohibited from parking on a sandbar to hang out. Boaters have to keep moving or drifting, Lawrimore said, adding that those setting anchor while on the water may only do so for recreational fishing or exigent circumstances.
“Large gatherings on the water, such as those possible on pontoon boats, remain prohibited,” Lawrimore said. “All vessels, regardless of type, must remain underway at all times. We ask people to use common sense and don’t do anything that’s going to put anyone’s life in danger, including yours.”
With the order officially in effect at noon on Friday, boaters were eager to hit the water as the barricades and police tape were removed.
Little River resident Mike Shook spent Friday in the Little River Inlet with his wife and three kids fishing, a hobby they’ve taken comfort in since the coronavirus pandemic spread to South Carolina last month. While they’ve been able to access the Intracoastal Waterway through a private ramp, he said him and his family have spent more time on the water than ever before to relax after a long day of schooling and work.
“At the end of the day, we come and we jump on the boat as a family and we go fishing for about two-to-three hours and it’s awesome,” Shook said. “I don’t know what we would do without being able to get on the water. This is the freest of things you can do, it’s what we do as a family to keep together.”
While the public boat ramps are open again, piers, docks and wharfs remain closed. Additionally, public beach accesses and surrounding parking lots will stay shut down, as the beach remains open for those with private accesses.
This story was originally published April 18, 2020 at 8:52 AM.
