I had a look at the tidal flow maps and the wind direction for the day that authorities assert she went into the water. They said she had been in the water for over 2 hours - she was found between 8:30-9:00am in water off Myrtle Beach.
At 6:00am with the way the currents went I can see that there may have been a slight rip near Oak Island - even though the tide was coming in, the wind direction was South, though the water was flowing away from the beach.
If she had gone into the water at Caswell/Longbeach/Oak Island - or come down through the river outlet which separates Bald Head Island or the Island itself, she would have gone out to sea (away from the shore) - and then been brought back in and around to along Myrtle Beach. (There looks like there was a big whirlpool flow happening between 6-9am there, and the wind changed direction to South West during that time.
I think this would be possibly 2 hours travel if she had gone into the water from there.
I also wondered what do people do at 6:00am in the morning at the beach. The clothes she was found in gave me the impression she was ready for walking & swimming - she had a bathing suit on. She had her walking shoes and socks on. There were no trousers or track pants? Was she staying close to the beach? I wonder if any were found along the beach during that time, or any handed in anywhere.
I don't think she drifted from longer than the point at Oak Island Beach - though there is a very slim change she came from around the point, but I don't think it would have been far if she was only in the water for 2 hours.
There are no Marina type bases there at Oak point (though I will check) because of the beach from - its not a place to set anchor as I can see - though the inlet does have a marina and so does Bald Head Island. She may gone into the water even further down and closer to Myrtle Beach. So being based on a boat somewhere is not out of the question.
I wondered at 6:00am in the morning wouldn't rule out having alcohol in her body. She was found on a Saturday and could have been drinking Friday night, but at 6am to be awake and dressed for the beach - I don't think so as much.
I cannot find that a car has been reported abandoned in the area in case she drove to the beach and left her car - and I hope if that happened the police put 2&2 together and investigated if it was hers.
She has a fairly good strap mark from her costume, and a tan, so she looks as if she may have liked the beach, and most of the tan seems to shape the same on her skin as the costume straps.
Maybe she was regular to the area or been in on holidays in the area for a couple of weeks before she drowned.
Maybe she was walking along a pier (Oak Island Beach Pier?) when something happened and she ended up in the water.
Maybe she had a heart attack in the water or something like a rip couldn't get her back to the shore.
I hope there was no foul play involved.
There is a live Pier Cam from Oak Beach from which you can see the ocean area there, and I think if you pan right you can see the distance to Myrtle beach. Heaps of people along the beach, and similar beach dress styles to what she was found wearing from other ladies her age - not uncommon in any beach area.
Pier Cam Oak Island Pier
These are just my opinions as to which area she may have come from and what she was doing there.
Someone must be looking for her by now.
Let hope.
