World's largest rubber duck is deflated early after 'malfunctioning'

Daily Mail​

12-05-2025

The World's Largest Rubber Duck, affectionately known as 'Mama Duck,' made a dramatic entrance—and early exit—from South Carolina's Myrtle Beach.
The towering 60-foot inflatable was intended to stay over the weekend to raise awareness about drowning prevention, as part of National Water Safety Month.
But high winds caused a tear in the duck's side, forcing organizers to deflate and pack her up earlier than planned.
Despite the abrupt departure, the event's mission continued at Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion Park, where educational activities and safety resources were still offered to the public.
Craig Samborski, the event's Head Duck Wrangler, emphasized the duck's symbolic role in promoting vigilance around water.
'You know, I hope seeing the duck, every time they think about seeing the duck it also jars their memory about, 'Hey water safety is important' and it really is, there's a lot of things we can do to prevent water safety accidents,' Samborski told WMBF.
Not just with swimming, but with boating and what not, and the duck is just a neat, iconic symbol that might remind us of that a lot when we need to know that the most,'
The initiative also included free swim lesson sign-ups for children in Horry, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties—an effort to make lifesaving education more accessible to local families.
David Byrd, CEO of the YMCA of Coastal Carolina, told WPDE, 'Put your phones down and keep your eyes up because as kids come out they wanna have fun, they wanna play, they will enjoy, but parents need to be extremely initiative or a caretaker needs to be extremely attentive with those kids for sure.'
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department underscored the urgency of water safety, noting that dozens of rescues and hundreds of hazard advisories are issued each year.
Volunteers and city officials echoed the sentiment that Mama Duck helped spark important conversations, even if she couldn't stay the full duration.
'It's disappointing she had to leave early,' one YMCA volunteer told WPDE, 'but people are talking—and that's the goal.'
Organizers are already working on plans to bring the duck back next year.
In the meantime, residents can access ongoing safety materials through the YMCA's Splash Safe online hub.