KSU student dies rescuing girlfriend's sister from drowning in Myrtle Beach

ACWORTH, Ga. - The body of an 18-year-old who died last week after being pulled from the ocean while on vacation in Myrtle Beach is back home in Georgia. Daniel Rowe's family says he was trying to save his girlfriend's sister but didn't survive.

"God is definitely a God that's a good God. We will never understand why, but we're just so thankful that we had 18 years with him," Rowe's cousin Nashonie Chang said.

Chang says Rowe was like a son to her, and he never hesitated to help others.

"He was very compassionate, caring, you know, always willing to help [look] out for others," she said.

On June 20, the Acworth teen was on vacation in Myrtle Beach with his girlfriend and her family following his freshman year at Kennesaw State University.

Kennesaw State University 

That's where the group got caught in a rip current. In a GoFundMe posted online, his girlfriend said after guiding her sister to shore, Rowe drowned from exhaustion.

"By the time they got to him, got him to the hospital, he had traumatic brain injuries, and it didn't get better," Chang explained.

He died from his injuries on July 3.

"Everyone else is ok, but he died a hero," Chang said. "It's just been difficult there are a lot of rough days."

According to NOAA, there have been 65 surf zone fatalities so far this year. Most of them have happened in Florida. Rowe is at least the fifth person from Georgia to die in rip currents this year. Many of these victims died trying to save others.

As Rowe's family prepares for his funeral, they say they're grateful for the support they've received in both Georgia and South Carolina.

"It's been quite a lot, and of course for the family it's emotionally taxing, but having people there to just encourage and just be there for us in such a time as this is really meaningful," Chang said.