Ohio Man Dies After Attempting Handstand On Balcony In Myrtle Beach During Hurricane Ian
Cherry Grove Pier in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Oct. 7 2022, Published 1:19 p.m. ET
An Ohio man died in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina while attempting to do a handstand on a balcony during Hurricane Ian, Radar has learned.
Markell Hope, 34, who as in town visiting from Ohio, fell from the 15th floor of the Patricia Grand Hotel, according to the Horry County Coroner's Office. The incident took place at approximately 3:30 p.m. Sept. 30, when Ian swept through South Carolina's coast, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and storm surge.
More than 100 people died during Hurricane Ian, which entered Florida's west coast as a Category 4 storm in the days prior. At least 100 were killed in Florida alone, while five more were reported as killed in North Carolina, which took on the storm after South Carolina.
While Hope's death was reportedly caused by attempting a dangerous stunt on a balcony during a hurricane, the coast is particularly dangerous during hurricanes and tropical storms as storm surge is capable of doing heavy damage.
Officials often urge coastal residents to evacuate during tropical events in South Carolina, though no evacuations were ordered for Hurricane Ian's impacts.
According to the New York Post, 60 percent of the deaths in Florida were from drownings as heavy floodwaters overtook many portions of the state. Other people died via vehicle crashes, medical emergencies, falls and suicide.
Florida is continuing to recover following the devastating results from Hurricane Ian, which some have called the worst storm in the state's history. Places such as Lee County were hit particularly hard.