Home Care In Smyrna, SC

A York County campground reborn could add yet another new outdoor option to the area.

The owner of 20 acres at 787 Woodland Park Road in Smyrna wants to develop the property into a 40-site campground. It would include RV camping. The site is more than a mile east of the town, off S.C. 5.

The county zoning board of appeals will hear the case Thursday. The property needs a special exception from that board to allow the campground, but it’s not the first time the site has been a camping destination.

The property was an active campground in the 1990s known as Woodlands Campground. Structures there date back to the 1970s, according to county land records. By early 2000, the campground was closed, but the site still has much of what supported 45 campsites there. There’s a concrete swimming pool, two bathhouses, an acre pond and other buildings.

Marcus Clayton acquired the property about three years ago from the late, long-time owner who ran the camp property.

“We’re just trying to get the baby back up to what she used to be,” Clayton said. “There’s a lot of memories out there. We want to get it back to something that people can enjoy like they used to.”

Clayton’s family went to the campground in its earlier years.

“Just an old diamond in the rough,” Clayton said.

In late 2020, Clayton had some friends over for camping and took some reservations but got more feedback and support than he expected. Social media blew up, Clayton said.

“We quit posting when we figured out we had more stuff to do with the county,” Clayton said.

If the decision Thursday goes his way, Clayton intends to move toward reopening and expanding the site in full. Somewhere for parents and kids to play and unplug, he said.

“There’s not a whole lot of room for that anymore,” Clayton said.

The new plan for Woodland Park Campground involves additional RV space as part of 40 total spaces. A site plan for the project shows 17 sites with a bathhouse just off Woodland Park Road before the internal drive splits in several directions to access the remaining camp sites, parking and a swimming pool. There’s a private residence on the southeast portion of the site. There’s a pond and pavilion to the southwest.

Between the residence and the pond there’s an area marked future expansion. The expansion area is 7 acres.

The Rock Hill region has long-established camping options from Ebenezer Park in Rock Hill to the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill to state parks like Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster, Chester State Park and Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County and Kings Mountain State Park in York County.

There also are new or planned additions. There’s recent and coming work at Ebenezer to upgrade and expand its camp offerings. York County also has Allison Creek Park set to add camping on Lake Wylie and the massive Catawba Bend Preserve coming along the Catawba River.

Last fall, a property owner with 78 acres in southwestern Lancaster County, near the Chester County line, applied to build a campground with 166 sites, a dog park and more off Cedar Creek Road.

This spring, the owner of 335 acres on Kendelwood Drive in Lancaster County applied to build a Christian campground on about 20 acres. It would include an activity center with bus parking, and a chapel.

This story was originally published August 7, 2023, 12:49 PM.

A surf session at a Florida beach went horrifyingly wrong after a boarder from South Carolina was bitten in the face by a shark, officials said.

Volusia Beach Safety officials confirmed to FOX 35 Orlando that a 38-year-old Mark Sumsersett was bitten in the face at the popular New Smyrna beach, which is east of Orlando at approximately 7:50 a.m. Tuesday.

The 38-year-old visitor from South Carolina, who is an avid surfer, told FOX 35 Orlando that the bite felt like a "bear trap closing in" on him.

"I got bit when I was a little kid by a dog, and it kind of felt like that, but like a bear trap closing in on me," Sumsersett told FOX 35 Orlando.

Sumsersett shared the graphic details of his attack, saying that he was in the water and about to jump back on his board when he felt something bit his face.

MISSING SCOTTISH TOURIST'S HAND FOUND IN TIGER SHARK DAYS AFTER DISAPPEARING OFF FRENCH ISLAND: REPORTS

The visitor was attacked on the right side of his face directly above his cheek, officials said. He told FOX 35 and officials that he didn't get a chance to spot the predator.

"It was definitely a fight or flight situation," he said.

A woman on shore helped him call 911 and get to the hospital.

"I was like, ‘What do you do?’" he said. "You don't know what to do when a shark bites you. This doesn't happen this often.

At the hospital, doctors gave the shark attack survivor over two dozens stitches along his cheek and chin.

He told FOX 35 that he's "grateful" to be alive and that God has a reason for his life.

"God has a reason for me to be here. And that's to help other people on this earth," he said. "I'm just so grateful."

DIVERS RESCUE JUVENILE SHARK TRAPPED IN WORK GLOVE OFF RHODE ISLAND COAST

This incident is the latest shark bite on New Smyrna Beach with two people being bitten over Labor Day weekend.

A 37-year-old woman from Apopka was bitten on her right foot while in shallow waters on Ponce Inlet, Volusia County Beach Safety confirmed to FOX 35. She was playing in waist-deep water at the time of the attack, but reported that she did not see the shark that bit her.

((Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images))

The second holiday victim was identified as a man in his 30s, who was bit by a shark near the Ponce Inlet Jetty.

He was reportedly bitten on his left hand, but refused medical attention at the scene and took himself to the hospital.

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Fox News Digital's Pilar Arias contributed to this report.

A South Carolina surfer who was bitten in the face by a shark at a Florida beach says the encounter was “the scariest thing” he’s ever experienced.

Mark Sumersett, 38, was surfing at New Smyrna Beach — which has been called the "shark bite capital of the world— on Tuesday when the shark latched onto his face, according to an incident from Volusia County Beach Safety obtained by PEOPLE.

The surfer told NBC affiliate WESH that he didn’t see the shark before it bit him while he rode a wave near the jetty.

Man Dies, Another Found Floating Face Down in Separate Incidents at Fla. Beach Over an Hour Apart

“It was like a crunch,” Sumersett said. “I heard the crunch. It felt like a bear trap crunching on my face.”

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“I thought that sucker was going to come back for me,” the South Carolina man added. “I thought he was ‘cause I was bleeding so bad.”

The surfer was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center, a level-two trauma center, and released a short time later, per a previous WESH report.

How to Prevent a Shark Attack and What to Do If Bitten? An American Lifeguard Association Expert Weighs In

The surfer sustained injuries to the right side of his face, which took about 20 stitches to close, according to the outlet. The shark also left marks at the bottom of the left side of his face, as well.

But this incident has not deterred the man from getting back on his surfboard.

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“I'm going surfing again. Because I love it,” he told the station. “There's nothing in the world that makes me feel better than surfing.”

However, nothing in his life has compared to the fear he faced during the attack. “I've been in bad car accidents,” he said. “Nothing like this.”

The incident is the seventh shark attack in the area this year, according to CBS affiliate WKMG-TV, The Daytona Beach News-Journal and WESH.

This makes seven shark bites in Volusia County so far this year

A surfer coming off a wave Tuesday morning was bitten in the face by a shark, according to Beach Safety Ocean Rescue officials in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

This makes seven shark bites in Volusia County so far in 2023.

Here's what we know.

Who was bitten in the face by a shark in Florida?

Mark Summerset, 38, of South Carolina, was surfing at the New Smyrna Beach jetty, a popular place for both surfing and shark bites, when he jumped off his board after a wave around 7:50 a.m., according to Ocean Rescue Capt. Alex Miller. Summerset said he saw a marine animal underwater that nipped at his face, Miller said.

What kind of shark bit the man in the face?

Unclear. "He did not see what it was but the assumption was that it was a shark," Miller said.

Surfers on the beach told local media they had seen spinner sharks in the area that morning.

How badly was the man bitten in the face by a shark injured?

Summerset suffered about a 2-inch laceration above his right cheek and was taken to AdventHealth hospital in New Smyrna Beach, Miller said. WESH 2 News reported he had been taken to Halifax Health Medical Center as a precaution but was released later that day.

Unverified and extremely graphic images posted to the @nsbinlet Instagram page Tuesday seem to show a man with a deep laceration behind his eye and several smaller cuts around it.

How many shark bites have there been in Volusia County this year?

Seven, so far. Five in New Smyrna Beach, considered by many to be the shark bite capital of the world, and two in Ponce Inlet on Labor Day. There were seven bites total in Volusia County last year, down from 16 in 2022.

According to trackingsharks.com, as of Sept. 13 there have been 58 shark bites this year, eight provoked and seven fatal, that have been publicly reported and verified.

In the U.S., there have been 31. Sixteen in Florida, three in Hawaii, six in New York, and two in South Carolina. Two were provoked, none were fatal.

Shark bite increase farther south:Treasure Coast shark attacks spotlighted by National Geographic's SHARKFEST

Why do sharks bite people? Do sharks eat people?

Researchers say sharks do not go after people intentionally. There are more than 300 species of shark and only about a dozen have been involved in human encounters. Humans are not part of a shark's normal diet, which is generally smaller fish and invertebrates. Some larger shark species may prey on larger marine animals such as seals and sea lions.

In Florida, there are a lot of things more likely to kill you than a shark.

Most of the time when a shark bites a human being, it's because it was curious about the splashing in the water or startled by a swimmer or surfer crossing its path. Some sharks may bite to protect an area, similar to a dog barking at people in his yard.

“People just happen to be in their way," Forrest Dowling, an 18-year-old student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said in July. "And you know, sharks, obviously, they don't have hands, so they just kind of test to see if you're food or not. And sadly, people just end up in the way most of the time, just wrong place at the wrong time.”

How do I avoid shark bites?

The new Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation building near Smyrna isn’t finished yet, but the foundation’s educational programs are already helping local students, while the plans for the future could help the local economy, too.

While the interior of the Innovation and Technology Exploration Center (ITEC) is still under construction, foundation president Dr. Stephanie Wright can describe her vision for the interior so vividly that dinosaurs and planets start to emerge from the concrete and steel.

“We’re going to keep the first floor open so it can be fluid, with changing exhibits, so it’s not the same thing every time,” said Wright. “We’ve got a life-sized inflatable dinosaur that would be great to put near the entrance as the children walk in, but then, three months later when the students come back, we can have an ocean exhibit with a life-sized inflatable whale or a space exhibit. We do everything from dinosaurs to space.”

Wright, who founded the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation (DASEF), exhibits boundless enthusiasm but possesses endless patience.

Since DASEF was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1990, progress has been slow but steady, starting with educational programs and day camps, then the opening of the 2,300 square-foot Environmental Outpost featuring classroom space and an observatory with a telescope at Kent County’s Big Oak Park just south of Smyrna in 2007.

About seven years ago at the park, the foundation started construction on the 40,000 square-foot Innovation and Technology Exploration Center (ITEC) which will house exhibits, classrooms, and a dormitory for overnight stays or week-long science camps. The building features a geothermal heating and cooling system, solar-powered electricity, a green roof with plantings, and a rainwater collection system.

While donations for the ITEC building haven’t been rolling in as fast as Wright hoped, her enthusiasm for the project remains high.

“To be this far along and not a penny in debt is amazing,” Wright said, explaining that the foundation has always followed the plan of raising the funds for a project before starting that project –and not taking out loans.

The first DASEF building, the Environmental Outpost, cost $4.5 million, but was completely paid for each step of the way.

“The Outpost is continually booked throughout the year,” said Wright. “We urgently need more educational space.”

The ITEC building will provide that space.

“Our immediate focus is on funding the first stage of the building interior fit-out,” said Wright.

That includes mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and six ground floor classrooms. The projected cost for this stage is $2,599,270, she said. The total cost of the building will be about $7.8 million.

“With it, we will be able to reach annually over 40,000 students, 800 teachers, and 1,500 families each year,” Wright said.

Benefits for the Smyrna-Clayton area

Students in the Smyrna-Clayton area have already taken part in DASEF programs, both at the Environmental Outpost and from visits by DASEF staff for educational programs at the Smyrna Public Library and the Boys & Girls Club.

Trisha Moses, executive director of the Greater Smyrna Clayton Boys & Girls Club, said DASEF partnered with the club under the 21st Century Educational Grant to set up programs in science, math, and the environment for seventh, eighth, and ninth graders. Some programs were offered at the Environmental Outpost, and some programs were held at the club.

“I think it helped students retain knowledge during the summer in science and math, which is something all teachers and educators strive for, to make sure students are involved in some type of academic skills-based program during the summer,” said Moses. “The kids loved it. It was tons of fun, always hands-on, very engaging and innovative. They used lots of technology.”

At a June DASEF event hosted by the Smyrna Public Library, DASEF educator Lynda Rae Gannon based her presentation on this year’s Summer Reading Program theme: “Every Hero Has a Story.” A discussion with students about heroes led to astronauts, followed by hands-on activities such as creating an astronaut badge with examples from all the NASA space missions, making and flying a paper helicopter, and creating an astronaut helmet out of a paper bag and a sheet of clear plastic.

“We try to give students activities where they can take a base idea and run with it, and use their creativity,” said Gannon. “These activities lead to more exploration.”

Smyrna Library children’s program director Kriss Mera agreed.

“These are hands-on, science-based activities. The children have a wonderful time,” said Mera. “Then they come to the library and they’re more interested in books on those subjects – in the sciences and biographies.”

What do children think about the program?

“I like it because you get to do hands-on, actual activities,” said Geoffrey Spence, 12. “I like learning about space. It’s interesting learning about planets.”

Britney Maykut, 11, said the DASEF program was “interesting.”

“I liked making the space helmet, and I had never seen the astronaut badges before,” Maykut said.

She was also inspired.

“I would like to go to the moon someday,” she said.

One of the parents at the program, Jennifer Wightman, said the DASEF presentation was both fun and educational.

“My kids love science and they’re always excited to get out of the house and come to programs like this,” said Wightman. “With all the great materials they have, it’s an experience you can’t get at home.”

Kent County Levy Court President Brooks Banta (D – Smyrna) said the new DASEF building will not only improve the educational offerings in northern Kent County, but it will also help the economy.

“The DASEF programs at Big Oak Park certainly serve a tremendous void in helping young people learn about space exploration and science,” said Banta. “It’s amazing what they do in their weekend programs and day camps. The interest at that level by the children is so intense, and parents I’ve spoken to have been impressed as well.”

Banta said while the completion of the new ITEC facility will take some time, the building should have multiple benefits for businesses in the area.

“The building will house young people for weekend stays, and many of their moms and dads might stay in nearby hotels. They’ll use restaurants and gas stations, and shop at our stores,” said Banta. “I know when my daughter takes her son to a weekend soccer tournament, they sometimes spend $500 during the weekend with the hotel and meals and the other places they visit during the tournament.”

Banta said an educational destination could spur similar results.

Along with visits by children and parents, teachers will also be visiting the ITEC building for conferences and training, again with the possibility of eating at local restaurants and shopping at other stores while they’re in the area.

“The economic impact for Kent County could be tremendous,” he said.

HOW TO HELP

For information on making a donation to the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation, individuals and business leaders can see the “donate” page on the foundation’s website, dasef.org.