In a place like Coastal Carolina, water is not something people visit. It is something people live alongside every day.
From the ocean to rivers, retention ponds to neighborhood pools, water shapes how families spend time together, how children grow up, and how communities connect. But with that proximity comes responsibility — and risk that is often underestimated.
“Last year, we brought the World’s Largest Rubber Duck to downtown Myrtle Beach to promote water safety,” said Hatton Gravely, Chief Development Officer for the YMCA of Coastal Carolina. “And boy, did she make a big splash.”
This May, she’s coming back.
The six-story-tall World’s Largest Rubber Duck — affectionately known as Mama Duck — will return to Myrtle Beach May 1–2 as part of National Water Safety Month. Presented by the YMCA of Coastal Carolina in partnership with the City of Myrtle Beach and Visit Myrtle Beach, and sponsored by Black’s Tire & Auto Service, the event is designed to do more than create a memorable moment. It is built to start conversations that can save lives.
At Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion, families will gather for a free, community-wide experience that blends something playful with something essential. There will be photos, activity, and the unmistakable presence of Mama Duck along the shoreline. But at the center of it all is a message that carries weight long after the weekend ends.
“Water safety education matters in a community like ours that is surrounded by water,” Gravely said. “So many people don’t realize that drownings can happen anywhere — from retention ponds to pools to the ocean. Anywhere there’s water, someone can drown.”
That reality is what drives the work behind the event.
“Many parents assume water safety starts and ends with swim lessons, but it’s really about awareness and preparation,” said Michelle Krenzer, Aquatics Director at the YMCA of Coastal Carolina. “Simple things — like designating a water watcher, knowing what to do in a rip current, or helping a child feel confident in the water — can make a life-saving difference.”
Throughout the weekend, representatives from the YMCA of Coastal Carolina will be on-site sharing practical, life-saving information with families. These are not complicated skills, but they are critical ones — and they are most effective when families understand how to apply them in everyday situations.
Because drowning is often silent. It happens quickly, and it does not always look the way people expect.
The goal is not to create fear. It is to create awareness, confidence, and preparedness — especially for children and families who live near water year-round.
The event is part of a broader regional effort to expand access to water safety education. Through partnerships with the City of Myrtle Beach, Visit Myrtle Beach, and community organizations, the YMCA is helping ensure families have access to resources like Splash Safe — a collection of short, accessible videos designed to teach essential safety skills — as well as swim lessons and hands-on learning opportunities throughout the summer.
Behind the scale of Mama Duck is something simple: a way to bring people together around a message that matters.
“We’re excited to partner again with Black’s Tire and our community partners to bring the World’s Largest Rubber Duck back to Myrtle Beach,” Gravely said. “To promote water safety — and of course, to take some great selfies.”
That balance — between something joyful and something meaningful — is intentional.
Because when families show up for something memorable, they are also more open to learning something that stays with them.
And in a community surrounded by water, that knowledge has the power to ripple far beyond a single weekend.
Join Us at Mama Duck
May 1–2 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion, Myrtle Beach
This free, family-friendly event is part of the Sun Fun Festival and will feature water safety resources, hands-on learning, and opportunities to connect with local partners working to keep our community safe.
Learn more and explore water safety resources at:
VisitMyrtleBeach.com/WaterSafety
Water Safety Month is made possible by our partners!
