Woman arrested in drowning of North Carolina teen at Myrtle Beach hotel pool
A woman has been arrested in the drowning death of a teenager at a Myrtle Beach hotel pool.
Brittany Nicole Neely, 32, was charged by Myrtle Beach Police with four counts of unlawful conduct toward a child.
The North Carolina teen, 14-year-old Nevaeh Neely, of Salisbury, was pulled from the pool at the Sandbar Hotel, 1804 S. Ocean Blvd., on April 2, 2026, according to an email from Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard. Willard said that the teen was unable to swim.
An arrest warrant stated that Brittany Neely left Neveah and her siblings unattended in the pool area for an extended period while she remained in a hotel. The young girl, who was non-verbal and autistic, was submerged beneath the water for about 45 minutes before she was pulled from the pool, the warrant said.
The other children were ages 7, 10 and 12, the warrant said.
The teen was transported to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center where she later died.
She was on vacation with her family, Willard said.
It is unclear if the teen and Neely are related.
Myrtle Beach Police is investigating.
Neely was booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center on April 3, 2026, and was later released on a $100,000 bond.
This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 11:46 AM.
