MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (WBTW) — The fishing community in Murrells Inlet is coming together to help those in South Carolina’s Upstate and North Carolina who are suffering after Hurricane Helene tore through towns and cities. After hearing what friends and family affected by Helene are going through, three businesses in the tight-knit fishing community decided […]
MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (WBTW) — The fishing community in Murrells Inlet is coming together to help those in South Carolina’s Upstate and North Carolina who are suffering after Hurricane Helene tore through towns and cities.
After hearing what friends and family affected by Helene are going through, three businesses in the tight-knit fishing community decided they wanted to help.
“It’s not one of those things where you ask people, ‘hey, do you want to help,'” Jason Burton, owner of Murrells Inlet Fishing Charters said. “There was one post on Facebook and now you got people lined up out in the street trying to help out. Now, it just becomes, you know, how do we get these supplies to them.”
From asking for help on social media to making it [a] reality the next day, Murrells Inlet Fishing Charters, Perry’s Bait and Tackle Shop and Murrells Inlet Outpost all came together asking the community for donations.
Crystal Coble, a fishing charter captain, said her family in Hendersonville and Asheville, North Carolina, is without power and gas and that grocery stores are limiting customers.
“It’s just mass chaos like panic setting in,” Coble said. “It’s crazy because we’re here living day-to-day life like normal, and they’re suffering.”
Coble said all three businesses will accept items including nonperishable food, baby formula, batteries, flashlights, animal food and more.
Murrells Inlet community members plan to make several trips by helicopter to drop off donations. Some charter captains will also drive a box truck filled with items.
Burton said they know many people personally affected by the storm, so it hits home.
“A lot of people come here on vacations, and once we meet them and establish relationships, then, you know, their families’ names,” Burson said. “So our hearts reach out to them, you know, during this tragedy, and we just want to do what we can to help.”
Coble and Burton said when Murrells Inlet community members come together, they’re happy to make things like this happen. They said they will collect items for the next few weeks.
“One week of this isn’t going to help them,” Coble said. “So, yeah, it’ll be an ongoing process. So, we’ll continue taking donations here.”
If you would like to donate, drop off items at any of the three shops off Highway 17 Business, and they will go directly to families affected.