Surfers rush to aid Myrtle Beach surf shop owner found floating in ocean

Nearby surfers rushed to the aid of a local surf shop owner, who was spotted floating face down in the surf near 65th Avenue North around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Friends say Mark Allison, owner of Surf City Surf Shop in Myrtle Beach, was paddle boarding near the 65th Avenue North beach access when they noticed something wrong.

“We were just all out there surfing. It was a big group of people. Mark Allison was on his paddle board like always ... and the next thing I saw was Mark was face down floating in the water,” said Todd Palmer, a local surfer. “A bunch of us rushed to his aid, got him on his board on his back, got him to the beach as fast as possible.”

Palmer said lifeguards met them on the beach and a bystander called 911.

“We began chest compressions and CPR. He had no color. He was unresponsive and it was very scary,” Palmer said. “When the EMTs got there they did the defibrillator and ... his pulse came back and when they pulled him off the beach it looked like he was starting to regain his color.”

Assistant Chief Ian Maxwell of Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue said Allison was taken by ambulance to Grand Strand Medical Center.

First responders were encouraging beachgoers to be extra cautious on the water Tuesday. “It’s very rough out there today so we’re encouraging everyone to use ... all of their water safety awareness,” Maxwell said.

But emergency responders weren’t sure if the rough surf had anything to do with Allison’s incident.

Allison, later identified as the victim by his friends, “has been around a long time and does a lot of surfing here,” Maxwell said. “We’re not entirely sure what happened.”

Palmer didn’t think the riptide had anything to do with it. Several surfers were out Tuesday enjoying the larger than normal waves kicked up by the recent Tropical Storm Colin. And their extra presence and fast response on the beach Tuesday may have helped save a life.

“Everyone out there knows who Mark is and so there isn’t anyone in the water who wouldn’t drop what they’re doing and rush to his aid,” Palmer said.

Allison was listed in fair condition at Grand Strand Medical Center late Tuesday afternoon.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Surfers rush to aid Myrtle Beach surf shop owner found floating in ocean."