from Glynn County Police:
UPDATE – DROWNINGS OFF SAINT SIMONS ISLAND BEACH
On Sunday, May 13, 2018, at about 6:00 P.M., Glynn County Police Officers and Emergency Medical Personnel responded to a call of swimmers in distress in the water off Saint Simons Island near Massengale Park. 34-year-old Aleisha Rankin of Jesup, Georgia and a toddler child were in the water and struggling to make it back to shore. 39-year-old Gregory Grant of Brunswick, along with others on the scene, entered the water to help. Mrs. Rankin and the child made it back to shore with the help of several people on the scene, and Mrs. Rankin was transported to the Southeast Georgia Health System – Brunswick Campus, in critical condition. Mrs. Rankin later passed away at the hospital. Mr. Grant, who entered the water to help, went underwater and did not resurface.
Several agencies, including the Glynn County Police and Fire Departments, Emergency Management, Search and Recovery, U.S. Coast Guard, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Sea Tow worked into the night searching for Mr. Grant. They used boats, drones, and helicopters in the search.
On Monday, May 14, 2018, at about 7:30 A.M. family members on the beach spotted Mr. Grant’s body in the water. Mr. Grant was recovered by Glynn County Search and Recovery and Georgia Department of Natural Resources personnel and pronounced deceased on scene